Eldritch invocations are what define the warlock from other caster class options. These magical secrets that your patron bestows upon your mind can grant a slew of different benefits. Some invocations modify your attacks, others grant you access to powerful spells. Others still provide unique skills that you won't find anywhere else in all of Dungeons & Dragons.
That being said, there are some invocations that are just too good to pass up. If you're looking to make your warlock as strong as the rules allow, you've come to the right place. Here are eldritch invocations you should take into consideration before your next level up.
Updated June 16, 2023 by Chris Stomberg: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything presented even more eldritch invocation options to players that are worth considering. Furthermore, over time D&D players have discovered uses for some invocations that were previously overlooked, making them much better than they might appear at first glance. For both of these reasons, it's worth revisiting our list of the best eldritch invocations. There are many nuanced rules interactions across D&D, and it often takes a lot of time before all the uses of a given ability are discovered. Here's the latest on eldritch invocations.
18 Eldritch Sight
Eldritch Sight allows you to cast Detect Magic without expending a spell slot. Detect Magic is a seemingly unremarkable spell, but one that, when applicable, provides a tremendous amount of help. Not only does it let you know of the presence of magic, it also highlights whatever is putting off this magical essence, allowing your character to know for certain what the magic thing in question is. Best of all, it also identifies the magic's exact school.
This is invaluable knowledge, as the school of magic reveals what the magic is likely to do when activated. If you aren't already, we highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the seven schools of magic so that you can put this invocation to its best use.
17 Maddening Hex
This bonus action has a few quirks, but the unique and irresistible area of effect damage is worth the trouble. Your warlock has to be at least 5th level to cast it, plus you have to have an ability that curses, like Sign of Ill Omen or Hex.
When you cast the Hex spell or use a feature that curses, the target suffers psychic damage along with any creatures you choose within five feet. The amount of damage is equal to your Charisma modifier, and you must be within 30 feet of the target to be within range.
16 Book Of Ancient Secrets
Sure, Clerics and Paladins may be able to cast rituals as part of their class kits. But that shouldn't stop you from taking the Book of Ancient Secrets. Before you do, however, take note that you'll need the Pact of the Tome feature.
The Book of Shadows allows you to learn two first level spells from any class's spell list. You can cast these spells as rituals. You may also cast any warlock spell with the ritual tag as a ritual.
Casting spells as rituals is great because it doesn't require a spell slot to do so. Instead, you need only take 10 minutes longer than the normal casting time. You can also add other ritual spells you find on your adventures to your book.
15 Fiendish Vigor
Fiendish Vigor is essentially the Warlock version of False Life, a spell used by Artificers, Wizards, and Sorcerers. The biggest difference, and what makes it so convenient, is that you don't even need reagents or materials to cast it.
It's a handy and simple way for a squishy caster to stay on their feet and does not require concentration nor a spell slot. If you feel you're in need of some extra toughness, this is a great option.
14 Mask Of Many Faces
What are infinite uses of Detect Magic compared to infinite uses of Disguise Self? The Mask of Many Faces provides a plethora of opportunities for roleplay. One second, you can be talking to a posted guard about a man that's just robbed you. The very next, you can become said man and have the guard running after you, leaving whatever he was posted to guard open for exploration by the rest of your party.
This is just one example of the mask's many uses. You could even make it a central theme of your character, always having a mask up over whatever you *really* look like.
13 Whispers Of The Grave
While Mask of Many Faces is a great tool for roleplaying, Whispers of the Grave is a bit more practically focused. Whispers gives your character the ability to cast Speak with Dead without expending a spell slot, which is pretty powerful considering Speak with Dead is a third level spell.
Accordingly, it has a prerequisite of your warlock being at least the ninth level. Speak with Dead brings the spirit of a passed humanoid back to its body for a short time, during which you can ask it five questions. While the corpse can answer these questions in whatever manner it desires, even to the extent of lying, there are ways to still get what you want out of the conversation. Lies are exactly what insight checks are for, after all.
12 Bond Of The Talisman
This is a high level invocation that also requires that you have taken the Pact of the Talisman feature earlier in your Warlock's career. At 12th level, you unlock access to this invocation which allows you and another wearer of your talisman to teleport to one another as an action a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus.
This teleportation has no range limit and works as long as you and the wearer of the talisman remain on the same plane of existence. Teleportation magic is very high level stuff with classes only unlocking it once they gain access to 5th level spells. Consequently, this invocation is quite handy both inside and outside of combat.
11 Chains Of Carceri
This is another high-level invocation that's only available to warlocks who both took the Pact of the Chain feature and are at least 15th level. However, warlocks who do fulfill these requirements should very much grab Chains of Carceri, as it's essentially an extra spell slot.
Chains allows you to cast the powerful fifth-level control spell Hold Monster at will once per day as long as you're targeting a fiend, celestial, or elemental creature. The casting of this spell does not expend one of your spell slots. In case you're concerned, all of these creature types are incredibly common at high levels of play, so you'll find no shortage of acceptable targets.
10 Lifedrinker
Lifedrinker requires the Pact of the Blade class feature, not that you would want this invocation unless you already had it anyways. You also need at least 12 levels of Warlock. Lifedrinker makes your weapon deal extra damage on every hit equal to your Charisma modifier.
This damage is added on top of your Dexterity or Strength modifier, which comes to a lot of damage before even rolling any dice. If your Dexterity and Charisma are maxed out, that's +10 damage before dice hit the table. This is an amount equivalent to the bonus Great Weapon Master provides, which, for perspective, is thought to be one of the most broken bonuses in the game.
9 Voice Of The Chain Master
Only Warlocks with the Pact of the Chain feature can use this spell, which is its only real drawback. It's obvious that it's safer and smarter to use a familiar to scout dangerous or unknown areas, but that's not the only thing this spell can do.
Warlocks using this spell can also telepathically communicate with their familiar and even use it to speak in their voice. All of this is contingent on your Warlock and their familiar being on the same plane of reality, which might be more than a minor detail depending on the situation.
8 Thirsting Blade
Lifedrinker is a great invocation on its own but coupled with Thirsting Blade its on a whole other level. Thirsting Blade requires the Pact of the Blade feature as well as five levels of Warlock. Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, it allows you to attack twice with your pact weapon instead of once. Any aspiring melee warlock would be remiss to not select this invocation, as extra attack is a key feature that all other melee classes receive.
Furthermore, it gives you a second opportunity to proc your Hex spell on the enemy, leading to even more damage. Take into account Lifedrinker at later levels, and you can see why these two invocations are surefire picks for any Pact of the Blade character.
7 Trickster's Escape
No matter what kind of warlock you're playing, melee blade pact or ranged eldritch blaster, you'll find Trickster's Escape a welcome addition to your kit. Requiring 7 levels of warlock, this invocation allows you to cast the 4th level spell Freedom of Movement once per long rest without expending a spell slot.
Freedom of Movement is a non-concentration spell that lasts 1 hour. Its benefits include immunity to magical speed reductions, difficult terrain, and the paralyzed and restrained conditions. If you are physically grappled or put in manacles, you can spend 5 feet of movement to escape. Lastly, you ignore the penalties of underwater combat. This spell protects you from a wide range of commonly used effects. If you don't take it, we promise you'll regret it sooner or later.
6 Aspect Of The Moon
Even the most dedicated D&D player gets annoyed with the need to take frequent rests, especially spellcasters, who often have to sleep to memorize spells. Imagine how useful it would be to never need to sleep, nor could you be forced to sleep.
Aspect of the Moon requires the Pact of the Tome feature. Granted, it's a situational ability, but in this game being able to go without sleep can be worth it. You can still gain the same benefits of rest by doing menial chores or reading a book.
5 Devil's Sight
Perhaps the invocation with the most opportunity for abuse, Devil's Sight grants you vision up to 120 feet in darkness both non-magical and magical. The key distinction here is sight in magical darkness. If you learn the Darkness spell, you can cast it on your weapon or clothing blinding every enemy around you. They will suffer disadvantage on their attacks while you are granted advantage on yours.
When used in combination with Darkness, Devil's Sight can easily become the stuff of a dungeon master's nightmares. Before deploying this amazing strategy, it may be a good idea to bring it up with your dungeon master to make sure you're not hurting anyone's feelings. That probably sounded like a joke, but Devil's Sight + Darkness is really that good.
4 Eldritch Mind
This rather simple invocation introduced in Tasha's Guide to Everything is especially good for warlocks due to the way their spell slots work. As a warlock, you have access to high-level spells like other full spellcasters but only receive two or three spell slots throughout your career.
Consequently, it's often best to use these slots casting concentration spells that will provide you with value turn after turn. The problem with this strategy is that any enemy who attacks you will force you to make a Constitution saving throw, potentially resulting in you dropping concentration and losing your spell. Eldritch Mind makes this outcome much less likely by giving you advantage on all Constitution saving throws to maintain concentration.
3 Agonizing Blast
This invocation here is the reason eldritch blast and warlocks are so synonymous. Agonizing Blast adds your Charisma modifier to your damage rolls made with eldritch blast. This is unlike every spell and cantrip in the game, which don't add character modifiers to damage.
That's the only reason melee classes are able to compete with magical ones damage-wise. They get to add their modifiers to damage while casters do not. Apparently, someone decided this rule shouldn't apply to warlocks. As a result, eldritch blast is tremendously powerful.
2 Sculptor Of Flesh
Sculptor of Flesh is the Warlock's Polymorph, and you have to have at least seven warlock levels in order to cast it. The spell's uses are myriad, and the ability can be used to turn dangerous enemies into something harmless as well as a means of disguise for the caster.
It's useful, effective, and powerful but has some caveats. You need to use a spell slot to cast it, and the invocation requires a long rest before you can cast polymorph again. Nonetheless, polymorph is such a good spell that this invocation may well be worth picking up.
1 Repelling Blast
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As if eldritch blast wasn't good enough. Requiring only that you take the eldritch blast cantrip, Repelling Blast makes it so that each time a creature is hit by your eldritch blast you can push them 10 feet away from you in a straight line. And for those of you smart enough to wonder if this applies to separate bolts from the same cast, yes, it does. Yes, that's ridiculous.
By 5th level, a warlock with Repelling Blast can move a creature up to 20 feet away from him/her in a single turn while still dealing tons of damage. Aside from pushing enemies off of cliffs, the repulsion makes it so that melee combatants have to waste their action dashing. This is the biggest reason why eldritch blast warlocks could be considered more powerful than melee ones. More than repelling enemies in a game of DnD, Repelling Blast rebuts any argument against it.