DnD Warlock class guide: Why you should use these eldritch spellcasters

If you like characters with a bit of a dark side or an aura of mystery, you might want to play a DnD Warlock in your next game. While Wizards gain their arcane abilities from intense study and Sorcerers inherit them, Warlocks make pacts with powerful, usually mysterious entities. These can be literal deals with devils, but a Warlock is just as likely to have sworn an oath to an archfey or serve the interests of an elder god lurking beyond the boundaries of reality. If you want an example, think of Wyll from Baldur's Gate 3.

Those pacts award DnD Warlocks the ability to cast spells that they can use to beguile others.  Plus, their skills and focus on Charisma make them among the most social characters in the game. Not that they can't handle themselves in a fight, of course; they’re also powerful combatants, using weapons and armor along with cursing enemies and blasting them with eldritch power.

While the DnD Warlock can seem intimidating during character creation, it’s actually fairly straightforward to play which makes it one of the best DnD classes for beginners. Check out our guide to how to create your first character in DnD if you want to kickstart the process, then read on for advice on making a Warlock that will be fun and effective.

DnD Warlock: Essential info

DnD Warlocks are highly varied based on the nature of the pact they’ve formed and the boons their patron has rewarded them with, but their primary role in combat is dealing damage. They’re a bit tougher than Wizards or Sorcerers and will often rely on their Eldritch Blast to attack enemies almost anywhere on the battlefield. They may mix it up with a melee weapon or fight more subtly with Illusion and Enchantment spells. Basically, they're a solid choice if you're new to the best tabletop RPGs.

In addition, Warlocks are obsessed with collecting knowledge and power, and rarely have too many moral qualms about how they achieve these goals. While they’ll never be as quick to come up with a fact about a magical creature or lost religion as a Wizard, they’re excellent liars and diplomats. They’re great at gathering information and might just share what they’ve learned for a price.

Should you play a DnD Warlock?

Much like DnD Rangers, Warlocks can do a bit of everything. Want to set the battlefield alight with spells whilst also using a sword to smack foes silly? This class is a solid bet. It's not a tank by any means so won't be able to stand up against heavy-hitters, but it can turn the tide if used correctly. Similarly, Warlocks are excellent at range thanks to delightful options like Eldritch Blast and Toll the Dead. (We'll get to those later.)

If you prefer morally-gray characters with a dark past, DnD Warlocks will be a great fit as well. They've all made deals with otherworldly forces that grant them power, and as we all know, this never ends well.

Play this class if...

Don't choose this class if...

DnD Warlock: best stats

Ranking by importance, this is how you’ll want to prioritize your attributes when creating your DnD Warlock:

1. Charisma
2. Constitution
3. Dexterity
4. Intelligence
5. Wisdom
6. Strength

Charisma is by far your most important stat as it’s used to determine your spellcasting attacks and saves, it's key to other abilities which allow you to do more damage or gain hit points. Warlocks can also be proficient in several Charisma-based skills.

After that, you’ll want a decent Constitution since you only wear light armor and have a d8 hit die to build back your health after being hurt. (Though it must be said that several Warlock builds can hold their own in melee.) Dexterity is equally important for improving your defenses and giving you the chance to act early in combat and start the fight off strong. If you’re not a Hexblade and want to make weapon attacks, you should prioritize Dexterity since you’ll use it to attack. With the right background, you might even pick up Stealth and join the DnD Rogue as an advance scout.

You shouldn’t ignore Intelligence either, given Warlocks have many knowledge skills on their list like Religion, Arcana, and History. It also thematically makes sense in terms of a Warlock’s love of strange lore.

Sadly, Wisdom doesn’t really matter for you outside of saving throws, and Strength is entirely a dump stat.

DnD Warlock: Best races

Since DnD Warlocks depend so strongly on Charisma, you should definitely focus on races that will provide you with a boost to that stat. However, it should be noted that Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything offers an optional rule that allows you to apply the stat bonuses a race receives to the stats of your choice. The races reprinted in Monsters of the Multiverse all use that mechanic as a default, so if your Dungeon Master will allow it, that means you have a bit more flexibility to choose a race based on their skills or flavor. 

Here are some suggestions:

• Half-Elf (Player’s Handbook)
• Tiefling (Player’s Handbook)
• Aasimar (Monsters of the Multiverse)
• Human (Player’s Handbook)
• Changeling (Monsters of the Multiverse)

Half-Elf is your best bet from an attribute standpoint since it increases your Charisma by 2 and two other ability scores of your choice by 1. You also gain extra skills you can use to pick up Stealth or extra social skills. 

Tieflings are both very thematically appropriate for fiend pact Warlocks and provide a 2 point boost to Charisma. The Player’s Handbook version increases Intelligence by 1 but there are variants found in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes that increase Dexterity, which will likely be better. On the other side of the coin, Celestial Warlocks might want to be an Aasimar. 

Meanwhile, Humans are always a solid well-rounded pick for your stats and skills. A Changeling can be a great fit for a Warlock with a fae patron who wants to make the most out of their social skills, though.

DnD Warlock: Best background

One of the key things every Warlock player should consider is who they were before they made a pact with an otherworldly power and what drove them to make that choice. Backgrounds can provide inspiration as well as key skills and other useful features.

You might be a Sage or Cloistered Scholar who found a forbidden book of secrets of the Far Realm or demonic summoning rituals that allowed you to contact your patron, using the synergy between the background and the Warlock class to specialize in lore and languages. You could seek power because of your tragic past as an Urchin, continuing to nurse bitterness while using the ability to sneak around and steal that you learned growing up on the streets. You might even be a noble who inherited a patron along with your title and wish you could be free of both. Whatever you choose should help shape your roleplaying and give your Dungeon Master ideas for plots that will intrigue your character.

DnD Warlock: Best subclass/patron

Subclasses for Warlocks are based on the patron they owe fealty to, and you should pick one that fits the backstory you want for your character as well as mechanics that will suit your playstyle.

One of the best archetypes is Hexblade, a Warlock who wields a weapon forged in the Shadowfell. They have the ability to use medium armor, martial weapons and shields, and to fight with their Charisma instead of Dexterity or Strength, making them significantly more capable in melee combat than most Warlocks. If you go this route, you should definitely take the Pact of the Blade class feature, which will make your weapon attacks even more dangerous.

Players who want to focus on misdirection may enjoy the Archfey patron, while the Fiend provides a bit of extra toughness in the form of temporary hit points gathered from foes you kill. If your party is light on healing, the Celestial Warlock can provide a bit of extra support.

DnD Warlock: Best feats

As a spellcaster who also sometimes finds themselves in the thick of combat, War Caster is great for making sure you can hold on to key concentration spells like Hex even if you take a hit. It’s especially useful for Hexblades who want to use a shield and weapon while still casting spells. Guile of the Cloud Giant can improve your Charisma and gives you a reaction you can use to reduce the damage from a hit and teleport out of trouble, on the other hand.

Actor also improves your Charisma and lets you imitate others, which is helpful if you’re using disguise or illusions. Similarly, Inspiring Leader can let you use your impressive Charisma to bolster your friends with temporary hit points. 

DnD Warlock: Best spells and cantrips

More than any class in the game, Warlocks rely on their cantrips – specifically Eldritch Blast, which lets them blast enemies with force damage from 120 feet away. The cantrip increases in power as you level, producing additional beams of energy that you can focus on one enemy or spread across multiple opponents.

Like all spells, Eldritch Blast uses your Charisma to attack and you should make sure to take Agonizing Blast as one of your first eldritch invocations in order to add your Charisma to damage. The ability is so important to a Warlock’s damage output that it should really be packaged with the class.

Hex is one of your most important spells too. It's a curse Warlocks place on an enemy to deal extra damage. It’s cast as a bonus action so you can put it up and start immediately unleashing some pain. It’s a great spell to put on an enemy you hope to take down quickly as you can then spend another bonus action to move it to a different foe.

Warlocks don’t have many spell slots, but all the ones you spend come back after a short rest, so feel free to spend your resources liberally. Other powerful combat options include Hellish Rebuke, which blasts enemies that hit you, and Misty Step, which can let you teleport where you need to be.

Minor Illusion is a fun cantrip for out of combat situations. Warlocks also have Charm Person and Invisibility, which are great for gathering information for the party.

For more from tabletop RPGs, be sure to check out our guide on how to play DnD online, how to write a DnD campaign, and our chat with the developers on how to make a DnD horror story.