Becoming a Warlock

[Prysus]

Greetings and Salutations. While that's how a player makes the character, I wouldn't see it the same to "train" a character. Similar to a Psychic and a Mystic, a Warlock is born. It's something that you are, not something you become. I'd be hesitant to allow a character to multi-class to a Warlock same as Psychics (though Warlocks are not specifically against the rules, just flavor text). If I did allow it, it wouldn't be a ritual or anything like that. It would more be a skilled warlock (probably the same element) seeing the potential lying dormant and teaching them to listen to call in their heart, no longer denying the truth of their spirit. Yes, I know the Elemental is the one to bestow them with their powers, but this is more likely recognizing a brother/family and helping out. I'd imagine it doesn't require much training to learn to ask for help. Their skill set is minimal, probably to demonstrate an actual lack of typical training and so forth (it's something you're born with, so you don't need much training, it's just fairly intuitive). That's at least my take on things (based on written text). Hopefully some of that helps. If not, then I wish you the best of luck with another poster. Thank you for your time and patience, please have a nice day. Farewell and safe journeys.



For reference (Palladium Fantasy; Second Edition, Page 108):

... warlocks all share the same basic orientation and the notion that one is born a warlock. A birthright that brings power, respect and responsibility.

*Bold font added by me to highlight my point, but the words are unchanged.

[Library Ogre]

I tend to view being a warlock as an innate trait that can be exercised or not. With training, I imagine you can do it in a couple of years.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Like mystics, warlocks are born not made. to put it in the simplest terms.

[drewkitty ~..~]

maybe a better way to say it is that because of the type of person they are, they are chosen by their life sign elemental.

It still works out to 'warlocks just are, not trained' ether way you look at it..

[Library Ogre]

While your theory could be true, ManDrake, what you neglect is that there's no concrete agreement drawn up between Warlocks and elemental powers... Warlocks themselves are not even aware of any such agreement, or whatever there is that causes them to be linked to the elementals. They simply have a link.

This makes them distinct from witches and priests (who both choose to have a link to the divine or demonic), or mystics (who must, to an extent, choose to be mystics). Warlocks simply have the links, for reasons they are not sure of. That the term in elemental for Warlocks is "Little Brothers" furthers the idea that they're born (or conscripted, at the very least) to be warlocks is another big chunk of evidence... elementals view them as being part of the family. They may be adopted, but there's no clear mechanism for joining.

[Library Ogre]

Psychics are not RCCs, despite being partially dependent upon inborn traits. Warlocks themselves believe that they are born to be warlocks, and while that's not definitive, nor should it be completely dismissed, out of hand.

[Library Ogre]

Very true, but if you review Dragons & Gods, you'll note that it compares Elemental Intelligence fragment process to that of Vampire Intelligences. And if you recall in the case of Vampire Intelligences, the master vampires are the ones that make the actual agreement with with the original Intelligences, while all other lower ranked vampires gain the advantages of the link with the Vampire Intelligence. So the process of linking to an Intelligence doesn't have to have involve any sort of agreement at all between the receiver and the intelligence.

Who, then, is analogous to the Master Vampire?

The term "little brothers" probably has to do with the fact that essence of Elemental Intelligence that provides the link makes them into some sort of minor elemental creature. Which would literally make them into family and given that elementals have no concept of war or anything else that we humans understand society, it would follow that the close relationship between Warlocks and Elementals are a reflection of their culture and not some major conspiracy. While we don't know the mechanism of transfer for the links that doesn't mean that it's inherent in the person. Once again, I suspect somewhere in the "training" process that the Warlock is having a fragmented essence transferred into their bodies, probably by their teachers as they show them the "way" to link with nature. Given that we know training in certain magical areas can increase the strength of the connection, I suspect there is a specific environmental component as well. They can believe they were born to be Warlocks all day, but the reality is at the end of the day it's just another Supernatural link like all the others. The mechanisms are slightly different, but in the end it follows the same basic rules.

But, again, you're supposing that the link must come from training, and not an innate link. Since warlocks all recognize other warlocks, it is equally likely that they only train those who have such a link, rather than anyone. Furthermore, I recall some races which can be witches but cannot be warlocks... if it were just another link to a supernatural intelligence, it seems unreasonable that one group of intelligences could grant said link, but others would be unable.

[Library Ogre]

I would be more likely to believe that it's a lack of basic editorial oversight than complete abandonment of the fundamental principals of the supernatural intelligences forged in canon.

Perhaps, but recall that Warlocks in Palladium's games predate supernatural intelligences; in 1st edition, Warlocks had a mysterious, assumed-by-them-to-be-innate connection to elementals, whereas witches worshiped beings that, though evil, were still more or less the same as the other gods of the world. If anything, it's more of an abandonment of the fundamental principles of elementals to give them supernatural intelligences, rather than making them discrete beings from foreign planes.

[drewkitty ~..~]

was going to post something else that got me looking in the R13 book.

The high orcs, found on pages 57-59 in R13, can be a any magic class but summoner and diabolist.

[Library Ogre]

Perhaps, but recall that Warlocks in Palladium's games predate supernatural intelligences; in 1st edition, Warlocks had a mysterious, assumed-by-them-to-be-innate connection to elementals, whereas witches worshiped beings that, though evil, were still more or less the same as the other gods of the world. If anything, it's more of an abandonment of the fundamental principles of elementals to give them supernatural intelligences, rather than making them discrete beings from foreign planes.

But when Kevin and Crew had the opportunity to create a concrete set of rules for them, they immediately went to the Supernatural Intelligences as the standard instead of going towards something different like you describe. But it really doesn't matter in the end anyway, because each GM sets their own rules for what classes are available to them or not. The metaphysics of it may be interesting to people like us, but no one else really cares.

You're assuming Kevin put a lot of thought into the metaphysics of it. That Warlocks themselves believe that they are naturally aligned with elementals, and that no other explanation is forwarded as a possibility in the book, makes me more inclined to think that it is the explanation.

[drewkitty ~..~]

The idea that the whole OCC is granted though the supernatural link disterbs me to no end. Come on all the ablities spells and skills for an OCC, no just dosn't work for me.

That is because its not an OCC, I's more like a PCC or RCC.

However, the Shifter and witch classes also grant links to the SN.

[csbioborg]

is it really a link to the elemental AI or is it simply a link to the elemental plane which as a corllary creates a link to the AI

I find it a little hard to swallow that thy are simply witches. It takes them years to master there craft whereas the witch is immediately given all the power he bargained for. I personally think some warlocks say the ones that orginally learned to contact their plane might be innate. However most are simply taught by their teacher how to contact the plane. THat is problay the first thing a warlock is taught or has done to him is have a connection with his elemental plane made.

[gaby]

Well ther some Gods that use more then 1 Elements and ther was a old Elf,in final sige that have two elements.
How das this wokr with the Elemental fusionist?

[Nekira Sudacne]

Well ther some Gods that use more then 1 Elements and ther was a old Elf,in final sige that have two elements.
How das this wokr with the Elemental fusionist?

Warlocks don't link to elemental gods. They link to elemental intelligences which only have 1. Those that link to 2 simply linked to 2 different ones.

The elemental fusionist has nothing to do with gods at all, they are simply born with oppsing elemental powers innately. Thus there are only fire/water and Earth/wind and these are the only two options.

[Khanibal]

Maybe the next major revision of the rules will see the introductionof M.C.C.'s.