Dungeons & Dragons: 7 Tips For Building A Warlock

Dungeons and Dragons

By Elizabeth Orchard

Published May 25, 2024

In Dungeons & Dragons, warlocks are dark, mysterious spellcasters who get their powers by making a pact with an otherworldly being. They’re willing to harbor power through the most unscrupulous sources, so they’re used to using their wits to get out of hairy situations.

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Building a warlock can be tricky for beginners. Spellcasters are already more complicated than melee classes, but warlocks are an exceptionally tricky beast. Sorcerors and wizards can pop off spells like they’re going out of fashion, but warlocks need to be crafty with their limited slots. Still, with the right guidance, any player can easily build a warlock that sweeps the battlefield.

Note: This article will be using content from The Player’s Handbook . Additional sources and homebrew content will not be included.

7 Race/Subrace

Be Your Best Fantasy Self

Dungeons & Dragons is filled with all sorts of fantastical walks of life. Players can be whichever they please, though some folk tend to pair well with certain classes better than others. Tieflings are practically synonymous with warlocks at this point, thanks to their +2 to Charisma, Hellish Rebuke, and resistance to fire damage.

But for players who want to break away from tradition, there are other choices. Half-elves also get +2 to Charisma (along with +1 to one other stat of their choosing). Half-orcs are often underrepresented as warlocks, but their proficiency in Intimidation and their Savage Attacker trait make them great for a Pact of the Blade build (more on that later).

6 Ability Scores

The Foundation of All Character Sheets

Every character sheet starts with the six basic stats: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. The higher each stat, the better players will make rolls for that stat. So, it’s important to know which ones to prioritize!

Warlocks are a Charisma-based class, so that should always be the highest. After that should be either Dexterity (for those weapon-wielding warlocks) or Constitution (for the squishier ones). A high Intelligence score is also good to have, while Strength and Wisdom can be saved for last.

5 Skill Proficiencies

No Skill Issue Here

Under each core stat are a bunch of different specific skills. Half the time while playing D&D, players will roll dice and add the bonus associated with that skill on their character sheet to determine if they successfully completed a given task.

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Each class is skilled at different things. Warlocks, for example, know a lot about the various powerful forces around them - natural, magical, or political. When choosing two of the following skills to be Proficient in, players need to consider which ones their character will likely be using the most:

Skill:	Core Stat:	What Is It Good For?
Arcana	Intelligence	Knowing about magic.
Deception	Charisma	Telling a convincing lie.
History	Intelligence	Recalling local history.
Intimidation	Charisma	Threatening others into submission.
Investigation	Intelligence	Searching for clues.
Nature	Intelligence	Understanding the ways of nature.
Religion	Intelligence	Understanding religious rites and rituals.

4 Warlock Patrons

Dark Deal Or No Dark Deal?

Now, this is the big question: what sort of otherworldly being should a warlock strike up a bargain with? After all, their choice of patron will have a major impact on their playstyle, namely in what spells and abilities they unlock as they level up. The core rule set offers three major choices: the Fiend, the Archfey, and the Great Old One.

Choosing a patron ultimately comes down to who the player vibes with best. The Fiend is a devil from the Hells who offers plenty of firepower. The Archfey is a chaotic member of the fey court who grants the power to manipulate others. And the Great Old One is an Eldritch horror whose powers are the stuff of nightmares. There’s no right or wrong answer, just which sounds like the most fun.

3 Spells, Cantrips, and Eldritch Invocations

Resource Management Made Easy

As previously mentioned, warlocks have very few spell slots. They’re a “quality over quantity” type of class, after all. They make up for that limitation in other ways, though. Warlocks use cantrips more than any other class, especially the absolute fan favorite: Eldritch Blast. They also have a unique power called Eldritch Invocations, which are basically bonus powers granted by patrons.

While it’s virtually impossible to cover all the spells, cantrips, and invocations players can choose from (let alone which ones are the best for any specific build), here are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind for each:

Cantrips: Always choose Eldritch Blast. It is the quintessential Warlock attack.
Spells: Since spell slots are limited, focus on spells that get a lot of mileage. For example, AOE spells like Fireball are a lot of bang for your buck!
Eldritch Invocations: Anything that allows players to cast a spell without using a spell slot or that makes Eldritch Blast more powerful is ideal!

2 Pact Boon

Time For Pact Negotiations

There comes an important time in every adventurer’s life (level 3, to be exact) when they must choose a subclass. For warlocks, that comes in the form of their Pact Boon, which is basically a reward from their patron for doing a good job (or at least, for surviving this long).

Pact Boons aren’t as important as Eldritch Invocations, but they still add some good flavor to a warlock build. Here’s what to know about each:

Pact of the Blade: Players bind themselves to a magical weapon of their choosing that they’re automatically proficient in.
Pact of the Chain: Players summon a familiar to help out during battle.
Pact of the Tome: Players receive a magical spellbook that contains three extra cantrips.

1 Backgrounds and Feats

Adding Some Extra Flavor

Backgrounds are like a character’s backstory, granting them a few extra skills and abilities that match. Players might usually consider how their character came to be who they are and select a Background that matches. Some choice options for Warlocks include Acolyte or Sage.

Meanwhile, Feats are bonus abilities that classes unlock as they level up. At levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19, Warlocks have the chance to either increase their ability scores or take a Feat. Some of the best options for Warlock feats include: