All warlocks gain their power by means of a pact with one or more entities from another plane. This may be a pact that was made personally by them, or may have been made by their ancestors; it may have been made willingly, or entirely by accident. Whatever the case, the mark that the supernatural powers leave on their warlock servant is upon the soul, not the flesh.

In most cases, these pacts are only granted where the patron sees potential for the warlock to serve their cause. It means that most of these bonds are between similarly aligned powers, and in this the choice of heritage for the warlock must be within one step of their own alignment.

Abyssal:

Alignment - chaotic evil

Roleplay Considerations - an abyssal pact is forged by a foul alliance with demons, drawing upon their natures to wield the pain, poison and madness inherent in the forces of the Abyss. Such pacts are particularly common among drow.

Astral:

Alignment - true neutral

Roleplay Considerations - there are beings that lurk in the spaces between the planes, ancient and possessing forbidden knowledge of aeons past. The astral pact is sought by apostate scholars and seekers of buried truths to gain access to such learning. These beings are often of such a scale that they may not notice the bonds formed by these warlocks. Their secrets, however, can be so horrible and alien that it rends the warlock's mind and twists their perception, and if such a being actually notices the warlock…

Fey:

Alignment - chaotic neutral

Roleplay Considerations - possibly the rarest among the warlock heritages, these deal with the powerful, supernatural forces of the Feywild. They reflect the capricious nature of the fey, whether that be from denizens of the more benevolent Summer Court or the more sinister Winter Court. It is a rare warlock who can deal with such fey spirits without slipping into a degree of madness themselves.

Gloom:

Alignment - neutral evil

Roleplay Considerations - rare and mysterious among warlocks are those who form a bond with a being of the Plane of Shadow. Such a pact lends strongly to the art of the warlock, gaining powers of deception and darkness to ensnare their foes. Gloom pacts are particularly prominent among Shades, given their pre-existing bond with the Plane of Shadow. However, rumors say that Gloom pacts don't stop at the Shadowfell…

Infernal:

Alignment - lawful evil

Roleplay Considerations - the most common of the warlock pacts, these are sworn to the devils of the Nine Hells, an exchange of souls for temporal power. Such warlocks may lose much from their bargain with devils, but the powers they gain are vast, commanding brimstone and hellfire at will.

See also: warlock, abyssal pact, astral pact, fey pact, gloom pact, infernal pact