Who is my Player's Witch's Patron?

[thornnm]

Hi folks!

Need help figuring out just who the Patron for my Player's Lawful Evil Witch is. It's a bit of a one-shot but it has the potential to go beyond that. If so, she has expressed some interest in possibly trying to figure out just who/what her patron is. I know it's supposed to be all mysterious, but I'd like her to have the possibility of finding out.

I'm already at work designing a Patron spell list for her (either going to be called Corruption or Weakness). And I've created a 1st-level spell called Contaminate Food and Drink.

In her own words the character has "a life-long fascination with toxins, poisons, venom and illness in general. Killing people outright is too dull: it is much more interesting to watch them try to continue existing in the face of discomfort, mortifying weakness, and certainly a wee-bit of pain. Using this affinity, she has managed to rid herself of a number of troublesome would-be suitors, and other unwanted entanglements, all while remaining the picture of innocence her parents require of her. People she doesn't like just... happen to fall ill. Oh dear, how dreadful."

Right now I'm thinking her Patron could possibly be Norgorber (as Blackfingers) or the Daemon Harbinger Vorasha. But honestly if anyone has any other ideas, I'm game to hear them. Thanks in advance!

[Xenocrat]

Patrons aren’t actually individuals, they’re more a misnamed area of concentration.

[The Guy With A Face]

I wouldn't make her patron a true deity or demigod. They have worshipers to carry out their wills. I'd make her patron a powerful outsider or a council of outsiders.

Maybe something like an unusually strong and ambitious Hezrou.

[thornnm]

The Guy With A Face wrote:

I wouldn't make her patron a true deity or demigod. They have worshipers to carry out their wills. I'd make her patron a powerful outsider or a council of outsiders.

After reading up more, I had actually thought about having it be a piscodaemon as they're supposed to be the personification of death by poison. I guess I was just worried if that would be "cool" enough for my player. That being said, I guess it's all in how I roleplay that potential meeting anyway.

[Melkiador]

The patron can be anything from a deity to a concept.

Quote:

This patron is a vague and mysterious force, granting the witch power for reasons that she might not entirely understand. While these forces need not be named, they typically hold influence over one of the following forces.

So, go wild with whatever you want the patron to be. It could really be just about anything.

[Mark Hoover 330]

1. The Patron is Entropy: yes, the character has been tapped by a primal force of the universe to be one of the many mortal and immortal agents. This Patron has no sentience the character can understand. Rather, Entropy has a plan of decay and ruin for all of time and matter, and the character just helps out until its her moment to go.

2. The Patron is an Outsider: this need not be a deity. It might be a Devil, a Fey creature native to the First World, or even a noble scion of the Ethereal or Astral. Whatever they are they'd have to have a love for all things toxic. They might also have an agenda.

3. The Patron is a Group: the character is a Witch; why not a COVEN? In fact, what about a Grand Coven - 9 Hags, Witches, Changelings or whatever else might count towards filling out the ranks of a Coven. Invent some powerful abilities they have as a group, above and beyond those of a standard Coven, and again give them an agenda that verges on global while lending a theme to them of poison and decay.

I'd suggest thinking carefully before using a powerful outsider or deity. If the being is in any way connected to ongoing worship by mortals, why wouldn't they use one of those folks as their proxy? Also consider the final motivations of the sentience. For example, the Daemons all abhor mortals as a plague right? Why would they Patron one of them to become a Witch?

Finally, if you're going to make the Patron a real, thinking being or beings, we have to consider what their plan is in relation to the campaign. If you're planning a 20-level campaign around slaying an ancient red dragon to reclaim an ancient dwarven citadel for example, which will culminate in a war of five... no, SIX armies... how does our Witch's Patron fit into all of this?

When your character is a Cleric or a Paladin they espouse the tenets of their faith. They might even commune with outsiders loyal to or in service of their deity. This means that as said character gets more powerful and involved in adventurers and events beyond stopping bandits and goblins their religion may be a factor of the story or at least their motives.

By making the Patron an actual being with sentience and plans your Witch falls into the same category.

I say in the end you talk it over with your player if the game goes beyond the 1-shot you have planned. They're playing a LE Witch; that in itself is fraught with complications both mechanical and otherwise. They're evil, which means a constant source of conflict with the world around them. They're a Witch - that means a Familiar to look after most likely. Also Witches' primary casting stat is Int which means this character will be highly intelligent but may lack physical ability; their evil plans then will likely require minions or something so that's another resource to manage.

With all of that going on knowing their Patron might be low on their list of goals. Talk with the player after the 1-shot wraps, get their feedback and see what fits.

[Melkiador]

There is a demon lord that officially operates as a patron, Mestama.

Quote:

Mestama serves as the patroness of various types of hags, witches, and hateful widows

[thornnm]

Mark Hoover 330 wrote:

1. The Patron is Entropy:

2. The Patron is an Outsider: this need not be a deity.
3. The Patron is a Group: the character is a Witch; why not a COVEN?

Thanks, gave me a lot to think about!

[thornnm]

Melkiador wrote:

There is a demon lord that officially operates as a patron, Mestama.

Quote:

Mestama serves as the patroness of various types of hags, witches, and hateful widows

I had looked at her, but she doesn't quite fit the feel of the character is going for. As it is, I think I've worked out something fun if it ever comes up!

[Cavall]

I dont think patroness refers to witches patron there, but more traditional sense of the word.

[Cevah]

thornnm wrote:

And I've created a 1st-level spell called Contaminate Food and Drink.

Check out the spell Putrefy Food and Drink. It is already a witch cantrip.

/cevah

[thornnm]

Cevah wrote:

thornnm wrote:

And I've created a 1st-level spell called Contaminate Food and Drink.

Check out the spell Putrefy Food and Drink. It is already a witch cantrip.

/cevah

Oh I know, this is basically an upgraded version that makes the food an ingested poison instead. It just makes people sickened, but still fun.