improving the warlock class

from a game fluff standpoint, i think it is weird--in fact, inappropriate--that a warlock can select powers from pacts other than his designated pact. why would a warlock who has aligned himself with a fey spirit be able to access powers that are bestowed by an infernal entity?

although it would be a significant shift in the rules regarding warlocks, i think that warlocks should be limited to powers granted by their own pact. i acknowledge that currently, relying only upon the phb, this is impractical. however, wotc could utilize such additional sources as arcane power and dragon magazine to fully flesh out each existing pact to make this change possible.

currently, the strength-based paladin is not a completely independent class (e.g., see level 9 paladin powers), but i anticipate that divine power will correct this shortcoming. in similar fashion, the warlock pacts could, and should, be made entirely independent of each other.

again, i emphasize that a warlock's powers derive from a source. the warlock makes a pact with an entity that is capable of bestowing certain powers upon the warlock. that should be the extent of the warlock's class powers, no cross pollination allowed.

on a separate warlock topic, i think that the star pact was a failed experiment of MAD. the wonderful dragon article on star pact warlocks helped them considerably, but what we now have are essentially two pacts called star pact, one that is charisma-based and one that is constitution-based.

lastly, i still think that mechanically it was a mistake to make fey pact a better fit for tieflings than infernal pact.