Review copies of “Dramatis Personae: Great Old One Patrons” as well as “Archfey Patrons” and “Fiend Patrons” were provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.

Support my work by using affiliate links for shopping and pledging via Patreon.

Designed by: Andrés Lillo (Azzael Ulbrinter)

The Dramatis Personae series includes dozens of Warlock patron variants, with a separate supplement for each of the three otherworldy Warlock patrons in the Player’s Handbook: Archfey Patrons, Fiend Patrons, and Great Old One Patrons. All three can also be purchased together in the Bewitching Trilogy bundle.

For the purposes of this review, I’m primarily focusing on Dramatis Personae: Great Old One Patrons, because who doesn’t love the Elder Gods? The supplement features 17 patrons that build upon the Great Old One patron from the 5e Player’s Handbook.

To review, Warlocks get four abilities at 1st, 6th, 10th, and 14th level. The GOO warlock gets telepathy at 1st level (Awakened Mind), a Reaction-Disadvantage shield at 6th (Entropic Ward), Resistance and reflection of Psychic damage at 10 (Thought Shield) and can charm incapacitated humanoids at 14 (Create Thrall).

The new variants add to, replace, or enhance the above abilities, while acknowledging that the GOO Warlock is a bit weaker than the others (how often do you need to charm an unconscious humanoid versus being able to deal 10d10 psychic damage to foes by hurtling them through hell, as with the Fiend patron).

The variants are organized by Elder Evils, such as Kyuss, Atorpus, and The Leviathan; the Lords of Madness, which are familiar elder gods from the Cthulhu Mythos, such as Cthulhu, Azathoth, and Nyarlathotep; and Unclassified Entitles, which includes the likes of Tharizdun.

I’m wholly unfamiliar with most of these entities. Thankfully the designer includes well-written and detailed descriptions of each entry, some of which are nearly half a page long. Pandorym was summoned as a god-killing creature by ancient wizards who separated his mind and body, but fell before they could utilize its power. The Hulks of Zoretha are a collection of five 20-ft tall humanoid-shaped monoliths that slumber, with rumors of how they are awaiting instructions from an eventual invading alien army.

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New abilities are thematically tied to their patron. Worshipers of Kyuss, aka The Worm that Walks, can Discorporate at level 1, collapsing their body into a pile of worms. At level 14 they can create their own Spawn of Kyuss (why you’d want to party with someone who worships Kyuss is anyone’s guess).

The yuan-ti patron Setronus (The Prince of Heretics) grants snake-shifting, Visiouc Mockery as a reaction, and can charm enemies by teleporting to their shoulder as a snake.

The Chained God Tharzidun uses madness in some really cool ways. At 1st level you can force a WIS save as a bonus action to inflict Tharzidun’s Madness, a d6 table that includes stunning and paralyzation. If anyone tries to read your mind or communicate telepathically, you can force the same WIS save for madness as a defensive shield. At 14 you can gain a spell slot up to 5th level, but suffering the madness yourself as a result – exactly the kind of risk and reward I love giving to players.

All the Dramatis Personae supplements do a great job expanding on the original three patrons, giving Warlock players a chance to specifically tailor their abilities to specific patrons, rather than just a generic fiend or elder god. The Fiends Patrons is probably the most useful of the trilogy, with easily recognizable devils and demons of the Forgotten Realms, such as Orcus, Demogorgon, and Levistus, but I can confidently recommend all three depending on your Warlock needs.

Pros:

  • Over 50 expanded warlock patrons between all three products.
  • Interesting and informative lore and descriptions.
  • Thematically enhanced powers for each patron.

Cons:

  • None!

The Verdict: the DRamatis Personae series expands warlock patrons with more detailed and thematic choices for Archfey, Fiends, and Great Old ONes, creating a welcome expansion to the Otherworldy patrons of the Player’s Handbook.

Review copies of “Dramatis Personae: Great Old One Patrons” as well as “Archfey Patrons” and “Fiend Patrons” were provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.

Support my work by using affiliate links for shopping and pledging via Patreon.