Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Archfey Patrons

In the world of Dungeons & Dragons, Warlocks are spellcasters who gain their magical abilities through a bargain, or pact, with some sort of powerful entity. These can range from denizens of the Nine Hells (the Fiend subclass) to beings of the upper planes (the Celestial subclass) to the most powerful of those living in the Feywild: the Archfey.

Not just any fey can be a warlock patron. Only the most powerful can bestow those abilities upon a mortal, giving them the power to charm, frighten, and disorient their foes with illusion and enchantment magic. When building a warlock character, it’s important to consider their relationship with their patron, and how they entered into a pact with them. How did they meet? What convinced the patron to lend their power to a mortal? Here are some of the most notable archfey in Forgotten Realms lore, and what warlock pacts with them might look like for a player character.

The Queen of Air and Darkness

Ruler of the Unseelie Court

The Unseelie Court encompasses the evil denizens of the Feywild, and the Queen of Air and Darkness is the most powerful among them. She was once the sister of the fey ruler Titania, but was corrupted by an artifact known as the Black Diamond, which radiated evil from an unknown source. Since then, she has resided in the Unseelie Court, a realm of darkness and hatred full of corrupt fey that exist to serve her.

The Queen of Air and Darkness is thus a perfect fit for evil-aligned warlock players who seek her power to do harm to others. Little is known about her personality, but considering Unseelie fey’s penchant for cruelty, it’s likely this is a sentiment she shares. However, warlocks pacted to her do not have to be evil-aligned. Perhaps a character made a pact with her out of desperation or coercion, and now they find themselves at odds with her. Or perhaps they were simply power-hungry, and willing to overlook her malevolent nature.

Titania, Summer Queen of the Feywild

Ruler of the Seelie Court

On the other hand, Titania is the leader of good-aligned fey, known as the Seelie. She has incredible power over the forces of nature, and shifts in her moods can cause drastic changes in the environment around her. Though some see her as fickle or changeable, she is also incredibly intelligent, and serves as a fair and just ruler. She desires nothing more than to see all fey live in joy and harmony, and to protect the fey realms from harm. Titania is usually benevolent and gentle-natured, but when provoked, her wrath is a terror to behold.

Titania is one of the most common archfey patrons for warlocks in Faerûn, as she is fascinated by mortals and often entertained by their escapades. A warlock might win her favor simply by amusing her with such antics, leading her to grant them her power as a boon. Alternatively, a warlock pacted to Titania might be called upon to defend the Feywild or the Seelie court in times of danger.

Oberon, the Green Lord

Lord of Beasts

Titania’s consort, Oberon, is nearly as powerful as she is. Like Titania, he is deeply attuned to nature, and has a particular connection with the beasts of both the Feywild and Faerûn. He tends to be more direct and less of a trickster than most other fey, and is less reliant on illusion magic. Oberon is a strong, incredibly skilled hunter and warrior, and, like Titania, is a staunch protector of all fey creatures and realms.

As a warlock patron, Oberon is a great fit for a character who is an animal lover or finds themselves in tune with forests. Perhaps they drew Oberon’s attention through feats of hunting prowess or animal taming skills. Maybe they even proved themselves by besting him in a hunt. No matter how it began, a warlock pact with Oberon provides fascinating opportunities for players to invoke the power of wildlife.

Hyrsam, the Prince of Fools

The Anarchist of the Feywild

Hyrsam takes the shape of a satyr, and is one of the most chaotically aligned of the archfey. He dislikes the influence that outsiders have had on the civilizations of the Feywild, and seeks to return it to its most wild and ungoverned form. Most of his powers stem from his mastery over music, as he can use it to sway people to his whims or stir them into a frenzy. He seeks allies from all over to aid him in his goal of toppling society and government in the Feywild, which sometimes leads him to make pacts with mortals.

Considering his association with music, Hyrsam is a great patron for any musically inclined warlock, and the perfect choice for a Bard/Warlock multiclass build. Perhaps a bard character would seek him out in the interest of honing their craft, thus expanding into the warlock class. Alternatively, a character may have been swayed by Hyrsam’s music into accepting a pact — willingly or otherwise.

Psilofyr, Lord of the Myconids

The Spore Lord of the Feydark

The Feydark is essentially the Underdark of the Feywild, and this is where the mysterious figure known as Psilofyr dwells. He is worshipped by the myconids, and his primary concern is the growth and expansion of their race, though he doesn’t pursue this at the cost of non-hostile civilizations. Intimidating though he may seem, he is typically friendly towards mortals, admiring them for making the most of their limited lifespans. As such, he’s likely a fairly benevolent patron to warlocks who pact themselves to him.

Yet, Psilofyr is still a mysterious figure, and is not well understood even by the myconids who worship him. His personalities are unpredictable, changing as he grows and divides into multiple manifestations. This offers a lot of fun possibilities in a campaign. Warlock players may never know what side of Psilofyr they are going to get, and DMs will have plenty of chances to surprise players with the unexpected.

Baba Yaga, Mother of All Witches

The Hag of Classic Folklore

Originating in Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a figure in many tales that have shaped the current cultural image of a typical witch. Living in a hut that stands on chicken legs, she’s infamous for tricking mortals, usually resulting in them ending up in her stew pot. In the world of the Forgotten Realms, Baba Yaga travels both Faerûn and the Feywild in her roaming hut. She is related somehow to hags, having raised at least three hag daughters.

Though known to be dangerous and evil-aligned, it’s not uncommon for mortals to seek her out, due to the immense magic knowledge she possesses. A warlock character might have pacted themselves to Baba Yaga in exchange for such knowledge, for a wide variety of reasons. Alternatively, one could also play a character whom Baba Yaga tricked into a pact, as such a thing would be very much in character for her.

Iggwilv/Zybilna/Tasha

The Witch Queen

Plenty of D&D players will recognize the name Tasha, whether it’s from spells like Tasha’s Hideous Laughter or the expansion book Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. However, “Tasha” is just one of many names, and this archfey more often goes by Iggwilv. Though she began her existence as a mortal woman, Iggwilv was adopted by Baba Yaga, where she began to gain her magic powers. She later moved between the worlds of the Hells and eventually came to rule her own domain in the Feywild, under the name Zybilna. Over time, the magic of the Feywild transformed her into a fey creature, and she became known as an archfey.

Like her adoptive mother, Iggwilv possesses an incredible amount of magical knowledge, having studied both demons and fey in great detail. She doesn’t seek cruelty for cruelty’s sake; however, she will not hesitate to use her power to destroy her foes. She’s an excellent choice for players who want a patron steeped in D&D lore, and perfect for characters driven by a thirst for magical knowledge.

Cerunnos, the Horned Lord

Master of the Hunt

Cerunnos is a neutral, slightly evil-leaning archfey, making him perfect for morally grey warlock characters. Born a firbolg, he was once a protégé of Oberon, but was cursed and cast out. Now, he is a wanderer with no true home, seeking out prey and chasing them down. He commands the Wild Hunt, in which he and his hounds sweep across the land in search of their quarry, compelling any witnesses to join them in this unrelenting pursuit.

Cerunnos is worshipped by firbolgs and centaurs, making him a fitting warlock patron for characters of these races. Considering the single-minded nature with which he commands the Wild Hunt, he may draw warlocks who seek power for similarly obsessive reasons. A mortal might win him over with the promise of a new quarry, or by pledging themselves to the Wild Hunt.

Kannoth, the Vampire Lord of Cendriane

Little exists about Kannoth in official D&D lore, but he has a lot of storytelling potential as a warlock patron. He ruled over Cendriane, a glorious fey city that existed in both Faerûn and the Feywild. Kannoth is even said to have remained in the city after it was destroyed by the drow, as its only remaining denizen. He is sometimes associated with Cerunnos’ Wild Hunt, and is said to remain loyal to Cerunnos himself.

Despite being a vampire, Kannoth is not necessarily evil; his alignment is not defined. His activities after the fall of Cendriane are similarly mysterious. As such, he’s largely a blank slate for players to work with. What’s his personality like, and what are his motivations for making pacts with mortals? Perhaps he has a benevolent side, considering Cendriane’s glory. Or perhaps he turned to evil in his resentment after his city fell. There’s a lot that players can explore here, making Kannoth perfect for those who like putting their own spin on the lesser-known characters of the Forgotten Realms.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

1974

Designer

E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson