5 Backstory Ideas for Your Warlock in Dungeons and Dragons (D&D)

The Warlock is one of my personal favorite classes in D&D. Having made a pact with some kind of powerful being, they wield magic like no other class. Having the ability to use both spells and invocations, they get intriguing abilities that no one else has access to. The Warlock has mid-tier armor class, the ability to wield several types of weapons and a decent hit die. They make good frontliners or ranged damage dealers depending on how you design your character. Now it’s time to come up with a few quick backstory ideas to help bring your character to life. Here are five intriguing ideas to use in your game, or to build off of to create a unique character you’ll love to play.

#1: The Contract

More than a few creatures in D&D like to make deals. From Hags to Devils to the Fae, more than few creatures are willing to provide power, magic, and wealth to a hapless mortal in exchange for something they want. The Contract is the easiest and most straightforward assumption for how your character got their magical abilities. However, there are still questions to be answered to fully flesh out what having a contract means for your character’s future. Consider why they are in such a scenario in the first place. Could they find no other way to achieve their goals, or were they desperate for power immediately. Did the patron come to them, or did they go to the patron? What exactly is the patron getting out of the deal? In the case of a devil, it’s most often the warlock’s soul, or the souls of others, but in the case of a Fae it could be more unique, even entirely alien to a normal human mind.

For many Warlocks, acquiring magic is something that they never originally imagined for themselves. They didn’t stumble into powers like a sorcerer, dedicate their lives to a god like a cleric or druid, or study endlessly like a bard or wizard. They may have no idea what new worlds are suddenly open to them. Determine how your character’s life has changed since the advent of their gifts. Has their personality changed with the sudden lottery of being one of the few in the world who can now perform magic at will? Or are they suddenly in more power than they originally thought, with paladins often not being too keen with those who make pacts with evil creatures. Work with your DM to decide what kind of creature or being you want your patron to be, what that means for your character, and what the contract might entail.

#2: The Thrall

The Thrall is similar to the Contract, except that generally the Thrall didn’t have a choice in their power, they simply gained it whether they wanted to or not. The Thrall has less freedom than a Warlock with a contract, and may be bound to their patron by their own acts, or by others. Your Warlock could have played a game against a devil, hag, fae or other creature and lost their soul in exchange, and now they have to work for the creature whether they want to or not. Alternatively, maybe a family member or parent made a deal for their firstborn, or maybe your parent was simply unable to pay a debt to a powerful patron themselves, and such a task fell to the next generation. Maybe you never knew that you were involved in a game for your soul at all, but now you find yourself suddenly entangled in a much more complicated life than you had previously imagined.

As a thrall, do you have any intentions to escape your pact? Do you know how you ended up in the service of your patron? Do you dislike your patron or what they make you do? Maybe you are a thrall, but not an unwilling one? Perhaps you even signed up to work for your patron of your own free will because you believe in what they are doing. You could be the lieutenant of a devilish cult or a knight of a faerie court. Work with your DM to determine your involvement with your patron and how that functions in regards to the campaign.

#3: The Djinn

Searching through ancient burial grounds or in the ruins of long forgotten tombs or pyramids, you came across an unlikely treasure, a lamp or other container. You weren’t expecting the thing that came out of it, the thing that offered you power beyond your wildest dreams. Unlike most warlocks, you might not be as tightly bound to your patron, perhaps the Djinn you freed is simply happy to help you learn magic and become more powerful in exchange for freeing it from its unending servitude or the vessel it was trapped in for hundreds of years. Consider what the object was that you found, where you found it, and who it might have once belonged to! Consider what led you to old ruins. How did you get there? Were you paid to find the item and ended up taking it for yourself?

More importantly still, consider which of the four types of Genies you may have released. With Djinn being the most common, your backstory could change drastically if that Genie was an Efreet or Marid. Look up some of these differences or talk to your DM about the possibilities. Consider whether the Genie was grateful, or if the magic you’ve acquired is only because the vessel you hold still holds some sway over the creature. Perhaps even your own patron is trying to kill you, but just can’t yet.

#4: The Sick

Maybe you were born ill, or maybe your whole village came down with something strange, a plague, the pox or something more supernatural. You were dying, your life only moments away from coming to a close. Instead, you were offered a way out, a way to live, and with more power than you could ever imagine. All you had to do was agree to serve your new patron. The Sick is a Warlock with a new lease on life. You were given a second chance, and now you work for your patron, but was it worth it?

Consider whether your character feels guilty for being able to survive what others couldn’t, if their whole village died of the disease, this might be even more prevalent. Does your character seek to be rid of the patron they have acquired, or have they come to an understanding with them. What did the patron ask for when they made their offer? Does your character enjoy working for them, or are the things they ask for worse than the possibility of death. This backstory idea is interesting because it works for many different patrons, and the possibilities are endless.

#5: The Sword

The perfect backstory for the Hexblade warlock, the Sword could be any weapon that holds powerful magic. The weapon could even be sentient, speaking to you in dreams or communicating telepathically. Consider how your character came across the weapon. Did they simply find it lying somewhere, or is the weapon mythical or legendary. Perhaps the Sword comes with a prophecy, the one who pulls it from the stone will be king kind of deal. Either way, consider how the sudden thrust of power upon your character has changed their life. If they are part of a prophecy, do they know what they must do, or are they simply swept up in a change of events they could never have seen coming?

Does your character have a plan for their new life full of magic and danger? Are they willing to fight for whatever they have inherited, or is their goal simply to figure out what it all means? Perhaps the weapon they’ve picked up is cursed, maybe it grants power beyond measure, but must be sated with blood every full moon. The possibilities are up to you and your DM to work out, and each can set the campaign up on a very different path, so talk over what you intend with your DM and create something fun!

If you like this article or any others I have written, consider liking, subscribing, tipping or pledging here on Vocal as it really helps me continue writing! These articles are designed to help you build the best Warlock you can, if you're looking for more information on Warlocks, simply follow the links below!

• Backstory Ideas for Warlocks
• Best Magic Items for Warlocks
• Best Feats for Warlocks

To check out the other articles in this backstory series, follow the links below!

• Barbarian
• Bard
• Cleric
• Druid
• Fighter
• Monk
• Paladin
• Ranger
• Rogue
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard