DnD Warlock 5e guide

The DnD Warlock 5e gains their powers from a pact with a supernatural being, and this makes them unlike any other spellcaster in fifth edition. They can easily fill the role of party blaster or face, regain spell slots on short rests, and have exclusive access to fifth edition's most iconic cantrip. The Dungeons and Dragons Warlock is easy to build but tough to optimize, so we've put together a class guide to help you get started.

Warlocks are one of the simplest spellcasters to start playing, but a huge number of customization options means this can be one of the toughest DnD classes to play well. We'll walk you through the ins and outs of playing a Warlock, including which DnD races and DnD 2024 backgrounds will suit your build.

DnD Warlock 5e explained:

Warlock class features

Hit Points

Proficiencies

Equipment

You start with one of the following:

• (a) Leather armor, sickle, two daggers, arcane focus (orb), book (occult lore), scholar's pack, and 15 GP
• (b) 100 GP

Pact Magic

Level: One

Pact Magic is the Warlock equivalent of spellcasting. You start out knowing two Warlock cantrips and two level-one spells. This table shows how these numbers will change as your Warlock levels up:

Unlike the DnD Wizard or the DnD Sorcerer, the Warlock only ever has one type of spell slot. Regardless of the spell's level, any spell they cast automatically uses the highest possible spell slot for that spell. Warlocks regain all spell slots on a short or long rest, and they can swap one spell and one cantrip when they gain a Warlock level.

Charisma is your spellcasting ability for your Warlock spells, so you use your Charisma whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Here's a few key calculations you'll need to remember:

• Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
• Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier

You can use an arcane focus as a spellcasting focus for your Warlock spells.

Eldritch Invocations

Level: One

Eldritch Invocations are unique abilities that a Warlock unlocks as they level. At level one, you start with one known Eldritch Invocation.

As long as you meet the prerequisites, you can learn an Eldritch Invocation. You can also swap one of your current Invocations with a new one when you gain a Warlock level. You can't choose the same Invocation twice (unless the rules say so), and you can't replace any Invocation you know that's a prerequisite for another of your Invocations.

The 2024 Player's Handbook features 28 Eldritch Invocations, so we'll cover some of the best options later on in this guide.

Magical Cunning

Level: Two

Magical Cunning lets a Warlock perform a one-minute rite once per long rest. After doing so, they regain expended Pact Magic spell slots, up to half their maximum (rounded up).

Warlock Subclass

Level: Three

At third level, you have struck a bargain with an otherworldly being of your choice. Your choice grants you features at first level and again at sixth, 10th, and 14th level.

We'll explain each of your Warlock subclass options in more detail later on in this guide.

Contact Patron

Level: Nine

Warlocks get Contact Patron, which lets them communicate directly with their Patron through the Contact Other Plane spell. You can cast the spell without expending a slot once per long rest, and the spell automatically succeeds in its saving throw.

Mystic Arcanum

Level: 11, 13, 15, 17

You can choose one level-six Warlock spell to become a Mystic Arcanum. This means you can cast it without a spell slot once per long rest. Any time you gain a Warlock level, you can replace an arcanum spell with another Warlock spell at the same level.

Eldritch Master

Level: 20

Eldritch Master means that, whenever you use Magical Cunning, you get all your Pact Magic spell slots back rather than just some.

Warlock subclasses

At level three, you can choose from the following Warlock subclasses:

Archfey Warlock

Found in: Player's Handbook (2024)

An Archfey Warlock always has the following additional spells prepared. They don't count towards the regular number of spells your Warlock knows.

At level three, Steps of the Fey allows Warlocks to cast Misty Step a number of times equal to their Charisma modifier without expending a spell slot. They regain all uses of this ability after a long rest.

Whenever an Archfey Warlock casts Misty Step, they can apply one of the following effects:

• Refreshing Step - After teleportation, you or a creature you can see within 10 feet of yourself gains 1d10 Temporary Hit Points.
• Taunting Step - Creatures within five feet of the space you just left must succeed in a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If they fail, they have a disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you until the start of your next turn.

From level six, when you take damage, Misty Escape lets you cast Misty Step as a reaction. You'll also get new Steps of the Fey options:

• Disappearing Step - You become invisible until your next turn begins or break invisibility by attacking, dealing damage, or casting a spell.
• Dreadful Step - Creatures within five feet of the space you left or the space you appear in (your choice) must succeed in a Wisdom saving throw or take 2d10 Psychic Damage.

At level 10, Beguiling Defenses means you're immune to being charmed. Plus, after a creature you can see hits you with an attack roll, you can spend a reaction and half the incoming damage.

The attacker must pass a Wisdom save (against your spell save DC) or take psychic damage equal to the damage you take. You must finish a long rest or spend a Pact Magic spell slot before you can use this feature again.

Finally, the 14th-level Bewitching Magic feature lets Archfey Warlocks cast Misty Step for free whenever they cast an enchantment or illusion spell that costs an action and a spell slot.

Celestial Warlock

Found in: Player's Handbook (2024)

The additional spells a Celestial Warlock always has prepared are:

The level-three Healing Light ability is a bonus action that lets you heal a creature you see within 60 feet. To do so, you spend d6s from a pool provided by this feature, equal to your Charisma modifier. You roll the die you choose to spend, and the total determines how much HP the target regains. A long rest will restore all spent d6s from your pool.

At level six, Radiant Soul means you're resistant to radiant damage. Plus, once per turn, you can add your Charisma modifier to the damage for a spell that deals radiant or fire damage. This extra damage is only dealt to one of the spell's targets.

From level 10, Celestial Resilience modifies your Magical Cunning ability. When you use Magical Cunning or finish a short or long rest, you gain temporary HP equal to your Warlock level plus your Charisma modifier. You can also choose up to five creatures you can see, and each gains temporary HP equal to half your Warlock level plus your Charisma modifier.

Finally, at level 14, there's Searing Vengeance. When you or a friend within 60 feet is about to make a death save, you can restore HP equal to half the creature's HP maximum and end the prone condition, if the target has it.

Additionally, every creature you choose within 30 feet of the original target takes 2d8 plus your Charisma modifier in radiant damage and becomes blinded until the end of the current turn. This ability can only be used once before you need a long rest.

Fiend Warlock

Found in: Player's Handbook (2024)

A Fiend Warlock always has these additional spells prepared:

Level-three Warlocks of this subclass get Dark One's Blessing, meaning that when you or an ally within 10 feet brings an enemy to zero HP, you gain temporary HP equaling your Charisma modifier plus your Warlock level.

At level six, Dark One's Own Luck lets you add 1d10 to an ability check or saving throw before seeing its result. This can be done a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier before you need to finish a long rest. However, you can only apply the effect once per roll.

The level-ten ability Fiendish Resilience makes you resistant to one DnD damage type (except force) of your choice. You can change the damage type whenever you finish a short or long rest.

The capstone for this subclass is Hurl Through Hell. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can force them to make a Charisma saving throw against your spell save DC. On a fail, the target takes 8d10 psychic damage (if it isn't a Fiend), and it's incapacitated until the end of your next turn.

Great Old One Warlock

Found in: Player's Handbook (2024)

As a Great Old One Warlock, your always-prepared extra spells are:

The level-three Awakened Mind ability lets you communicate telepathically with a creature you can see within 30 feet as a bonus action. After you activate Awakened Mind, you and your chosen creature can speak telepathically as long as you're within a number of miles equal to your Charisma modifier. The connection lasts for minutes equal to your Warlock level.

Also at level three, Psychic Spells lets you change a Warlock spell's damage type to psychic when you cast it. If you cast an enchantment or illusion Warlock spell, you don't need to provide verbal or somatic components.

From level six, Clairvoyant Combat changes how Awakened Mind works. When you use Awakened Mind, you can force your target to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If they fail, they have disadvantage on attack rolls against you, while you gain advantage on attack rolls against the target.

These effects last for the duration of Awakened Mind. Once you've used Clairvoyant Combat, you must finish a short or long rest or, alternatively, spend a Pact Magic spell slot before you can use it again.

The level-ten feature Eldritch Hex means you always have Hex prepared, and casting it also gives a target disadvantage on saving throws for a chosen ability. Another level-ten ability the Great Old One Warlock gains is Thought Shield, which prevents others from using telepathy or magic to read your thoughts. You're also now resistant to psychic damage, and any creature that deals psychic damage to you takes that same amount of damage.

Last of all, at level 14, is Create Thrall. With this, you can cast a version of Summon Aberration which has a duration of one minute but doesn't require concentration.

The Aberration also appears with temporary HP equal to your Warlock level plus your Charisma modifier. Any time this Aberration hits a creature targeted by your Hex spell, it deals extra psychic damage equal to the bonus damage of the spell.

The Hexblade 5e

Found in: Xanathar's Guide to Everything

The martial, close-combat, super melee Warlock subclass, Hexblades are here for the fight and they'll jolly well make a good show of it. Hex Warrior grants proficiency in medium armor, shields, and martial weapons, making it finally feasible for Warlocks to effectively brandish a sword on the front line. Hexbalde's Curse effectively lets you deal massive damage to a single target, scaling nicely as you level up.

Being able to use your Charisma modifier for attacks lets you wail on enemies up close before relying on bursts of spellcasting for the bigger foes. The Hexblade spells are rather meager, however, so you'll have to wait until you can use fifth-level Banishing Smite before really feeling its effects. Even so, Eldritch Blast combined with formidable melee damage should not be sneered at.

Learn more in our Hexblade 5e subclass guide.

Genie Warlock

Found in: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Strike an agreement with a Noble Genie to unlock a truly astonishing array of offensive and defensive spells. The Genie Warlock operates a little differently from the rest,

The four selectable genie types differ significantly, and, aside from their thematic delineations, have no obvious specialization. Whichever you pick, you'll be handed a strong mix of damage-dealing and protection spells, as well as the much-coveted Wish. A great option for those looking to play creatively, and take a more versatile role in their party.

Learn more in our DnD Genie Warlock guide.

The Undying 5e

Found in: Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide

Offering yourself to an immortal being who's cheated death, you'll learn various necromancy spells and passive buffs to keep your legs moving and your body breathing. Forging a pact with an Undying Warlock patron is all about survivability. You'll learn Spare the Dying cantrip at level one, letting you stabilize teammates at zero hit points, while Defy Death lets you pour extra hit points on them to get them back into action.

Although fraternizing with liches and deathless Wizards sounds like a whole heap of fun, the Undying patron is unfortunately clearly the weakest patron in the game. It's a solid thematic choice, but gives few abilities that can't be replicated, or surpassed, by the spell lists of other patrons.

The Fathomless 5e

Found in: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

The Fathomless is the aquatic subclass. Form a pact with a deep-sea monster, whether the ghost of a pirate captain feeding upon the lost souls of sailors, or a water elemental stalking the ocean floor, to gain a bunch of situational abilities that will be incredibly useful in naval campaigns. From first level, you can summon a huge tentacle to smite your foes, while Guardian Coil lets you use your new suction-cupped friend as a shield.

You'll get a bunch of situational combat spells that work best when surrounded by water. Pick the Fathomless patron if you know your adventure will frequently take you to oceans, swamps, or other watery terrain.

Best Eldritch Invocations

Agonizing Blast is a staple of nearly all Warlock repertoires, but there're a few other standouts you should have your eye on.

For those that require no prerequisites, Armor of Shadows lets you cast Mage Armor on yourself without expending a spell slot (very useful if you're taking a mixed sword and spellcasting route), and Eldritch Sight lets you cast Detect Magic 5e should your party's Wizard be lacking in the detection department.

Mask of Many Faces, which lets you disguise yourself at will, makes for some creative adventuring, while higher level invocations, such as Maddening Hex - which causes automatic psychic damage to a creature under your hex - can turn the tide of combat.

When choosing between them, consider the build of your Warlock and whether an invocation might complement your existing strengths.

Best Warlock stats

Choosing ability scores for a Warlock is straightforward: increase your Charisma above everything else. As their spellcasting ability, Cha will ultimately determine the utility of your Warlock - what they can do, how well they can do it, and how reliably they can perform. Regardless of what type of character build you'll be playing, you'll need Cha coming out of your ears to make it effective.

Constitution should be your secondary focus. Although Warlocks aren't nearly as feeble as the scrawny Wizard 5e, their limited DnD armor proficiencies and low hit dice make them vulnerable. Your Pact Magic will be no use if you spend most battles crumpled on the floor, so nip it in the bud by inflating Con to your second-highest ability score.

A reasonable Dexterity score can be useful for boosting your defense, as you cartwheel away from an incoming crossbow bolt. It also makes ranged DnD weapons slightly more practical, for those unfortunate moments in which you've run out of spell slots and really don't feel like casting Eldritch Blast for the fiftieth time.

Leave Strength, Intelligence, and Wisdom to fall by the wayside. Distribute ability scores across these three for their roleplaying implications, rather than their combat buffs.

Best Warlock spells

At first level, Hex is the pre-eminent choice. It adds an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to a target creature whenever it's successfully attacked, as well as landing it with a disadvantage on ability checks made in a score of your choice. Hex neatly complements planned party assaults, as you line up a foe for a stronger player to knock down.

Charm Person makes for some useful fighting tactics, as well as hilarious roleplaying antics, while Armor of Agathys is a fantastic defensive spell that protects you with five temporary hit points and damages the enemy when hit.

Later, you should be looking to combine your magical abilities to fully leverage their potential. Darkness can be cast to snuff out light, and grant yourself a tactical advantage if you've learned the Devil's Sight invocation.

Tongues, granting you the ability to understand any language, is useful for those Warlocks who have built a charismatic personality, while Mental Prison is a great charm spell, locking a creature out of the fight.

At higher levels, you'll gain access to area-of-effect attacks, like Maddening Darkness, as well as near game-breaking spells such as Foresight, which grants an advantage to every attack roll, ability check, and saving throw you perform over eight hours. Powerful stuff.

You'll also be making persistent use of your cantrips, even at higher levels - and the star of the show is undoubtedly Eldritch Blast 5e. The highest damage-dealing cantrip in the whole game - when combined with the Agonizing Blast Invocation, which lets you add your Charisma modifier to the damage dealt on every use - its 1d10 force damage can be easily combined with other invocations and spells, like Hex, to massively bolster its utility.

Besides that, you have some 'back pocket' options that are useful at times. Mage Hand 5e, which allows you to manipulate objects from a distance, can be vital for steering your party through the traps and puzzles of a dungeon, and Prestidigitation 5e can be shrewdly used to navigate entanglements of a more social variety. Or, consider Chill Touch 5e if you want more offensive options.

Best Warlock races

The best Warlock races tend to offer one of three things. Firstly, they might expand the Warlock's limited spell list. Alternatively, they may improve the Warlock's DnD skills and make them a better party Face. Lastly, they might offer a way to make the Warlock tougher to down in combat.

The Elf and the Tiefling are great shouts for expanding your spell list, while the Human's extra feat offers huge amounts of flexibility. For sturdiness, go for a Dwarf or an Orc.

If you're more interested in a thematic option, go for the Aasimar. Their divine heritage and inclinations for good is an interesting counterpoint to the maleficence of their patrons. Or match them with a Celestial patron, and fully embrace divination.

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Best Warlock backgrounds

Charisma is your number one priority, but there are plenty of other features that distinguish the best Warlock backgrounds. Here are our favorites:

Charlatan

Charlatans offer the perfect spread of stats for a Warlock, allowing you to buff Charisma, Constitution, and Dexterity as you please. The Skilled feat will help your Warlock offer utility outside of combat, and the skill proficiencies available here are incredibly useful.

Entertainer

This background lets you buff Charisma, though you'll probably want to give your +1 to Dexterity and ignore Strength entirely. Proficiency in Acrobatics and Performance complements your high Charisma score, but they're somewhat situational skills. Luckily, the included feat makes up for this, as Musician is handy in any party.

Merchant

Merchants get a tasty Charisma and Consititution buff, with Intelligence being a safe dump stat. Lucky is a generally useful feat that works well with any build, and you can pick up a handy Persuasion proficiency. Animal Handling is less useful as you're not likely to specialize in Wisdom, but it might turn out to be useful.

Wayfarer

The Wayfarer is pretty interchangeable with the Merchant. It also offers the Lucky feat and buffs your Charisma, but you'll get the option to boost Dexterity instead of Constitution. The skill proficiencies are a bit more useful, but one of them will rely on your Wisdom score, so your mileage may vary.

This guide directly presents rules text for the DnD 5e Warlock class, published by Wizards of the Coast under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.