Playing a warlock in Dungeons & Dragons can be a lot of fun. The class has tons of great flavor and opportunities for roleplay baked right in. Did you sell your soul to an inscrutable being in exchange for magical powers? Fantastic! There are all kinds of opportunities for drama to explore there.
Warlock is also a pretty good class for beginning players who want to take a stab at a spellcaster. Some spellcasting classes, like druid and cleric, absolutely inundate you with spells to keep track of—warlock might look limiting by comparison. But there's actually a lot of room for customization. Let's look at how to make your character an eldritch powerhouse.
Updated by Chris Stomberg, May 31, 2023: The Warlock class is a favorite among D&D players thanks to its broad pool of customizable choices, incredible use in multiclassing, and distinct flavor. While many D&D fanatics might chafe against serving a god, the Warlock's patrons provide an interesting middle ground that makes for some of the most creative storytelling in the game. Flavor aside, Warlocks are also some of the best gish (melee spellcasters) in the game while functioning uniquely in ranged combat as well thanks to their unique access to the eldritch blast cantrip and modifying eldritch invocations. Players looking to get the most out of their Warlock characters need look no further than the following list.
18 Make Charisma Your Highest Stat
This might seem strange at first if you're not planning on making a particularly persuasive character but warlocks are actually Charisma-based spellcasters. All the numbers for their magical powers, like attack bonuses and saving throws, rely on a good Charisma score.
It makes sense when you think about it; your character got their powers from another being and maintains them based on that relationship. So something about your character must be suitably charming to encourage an otherworldly creature to lend you some of its strength.
17 Be a Tiefling
This overlaps with the importance of having a warlock with a high Charisma stat. Anyone who's a Tiefling has a demon in the family tree anyway. The blood pact of Asmodeus, Overlord of the Nine Hells, is at the root of this enigmatic and feared race.
Convenient not only from a career standpoint but also great for the backstory and to buff those two critical stats. All Tieflings have a +2 to their Charisma, essential for an OP Warlock. You also gain access to the Hellish Rebuke spell as a reaction which is both flavorful and great mechanically for bettering your action economy.
16 Don't Neglect Your Dex
Warlocks need to focus on Charisma and Constitution but don't forget about a stat that's also important. Dexterity is vital for all characters as it goes towards your initiative bonus, AC (Armor Class), and melee attack rolls. Making sure you have a solid Dexterity means your Warlock is just as deadly using both magic and blades.
That means you have more options to customize your character at later levels regarding gear and weapons, and that's what being a warlock is all about. Granted, there are features that allow you to use Charisma as your melee attack stat instead, but more on that later.
15 Polearm Mastery
Sure, Warlocks can be a melee class, why not? That's why the D&D gods made Hexblade Pact and the Pact of the Blade. Polearm mastery covers a variety of two-handed weapons, including quarterstaves, but the glaive or halberd also grants the warlock the reach ability.
You can combo this with Polearm Mastery's other feature which allows you an opportunity attack on anyone that wanders within your extended melee range of ten feet. This is one example of how a few clever combinations of feats and stats can make a Warlock totally OP.
14 Choose Pact of the Chain
Of the pact boons, Pact of the Blade is good for a warrior, and Pact of the Tome offers great utility. Pact of the Chain, however, gives you a really excellent little pet. Who wouldn't want that? In all seriousness, the familiar options provided by Pact of the Chain go beyond what even wizards can get with their find familiar spell.
Instead of picking from the usual menagerie of animals, you can also choose from an imp, pseudodragon, warlock, or sprite. They all have some unique upsides and can be used for a variety of tasks, including scouting. Plus, unlike the wizard's familiar, yours can even attack!
13 Be Born A Half-Elf
There are quite a few races that give out Charisma boosts, which should be your primary concern. Tieflings, pretty much the default race for edgy warlocks, give you a juicy +2 alongside a bonus to Intelligence. But we can do better.
Half-elves not only get that lovely +2 to Charisma, but they also get an extra +1 to two more stats of your choice. You have some freedom to improve more desirable stats or balance any that rolled lower than you'd like. Not to mention half-elves get proficiency to two skills of their choice also, in addition to the ever-useful darkvision.
12 Make A Deal With The Devil
When you first build a warlock you'll have to make a decision about who you want to sell your soul to. You want to make the right decision—you only have one. While Pact of the Archfey and Pact of the Great Old One both have their fun flavor and useful abilities, sometimes you just have to go with the classics.
The Pact of the Fiend provides you with some extra HP and a cool signature move that literally hurls an enemy through hell, dealing tons of damage. Their expanded spell list is also very useful if you want to blow stuff up and even offers some useful crowd control spells to boot.
11 Choose The Hexblade Subclass
The Hexblade is a subclass found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything which allows your Warlock to excel at melee combat. This is thanks to the Hex Warrior feature which allows you to use Charisma for your melee attack rolls instead of Strength or Dexterity. This allows you to focus on Charisma as your single attack statistic, saving you from the trouble of needing to bump up three ability scores (Consitution is always important).
Furthermore, the Hexblade subclass comes with an incredible expanded spell list that most notable features the 1st level Shield spell. This spell is arguably one of the best in the game as it greatly increases your defenses and action economy. You also gain Hexblade's Curse immediately which increases your damage and chance to critically strike on a single target.
10 Upgrade Your Pact Weapon
Players who prefer playing a melee based Warlock will want to focus on upgrading their pact weapon through the use of invocations. The most important invocations include Improved Pact Weapon at 3rd level, Thirsting Blade and Eldritch Smite at 5th level, and Lifedrinker at 12th level.
Together, the boons these invocations offer turn your melee attacks into some of the most powerful single attacks accessible in the game. It should be noted that Eldritch Smite is by no means required as it's often better to use your limited spell slots for concentration spells and Shield when necessary. However, Eldritch Smite is a boatload of fun for anyone who loves to roll as much damage as possible.
9 Beef Up Your Eldritch Blast
Eldritch blast is the warlock's signature cantrip. A ranged spell that does a juicy d10 damage and it scales when you level. This is probably one of your most powerful tools and certainly your most reliable.
But why settle? Eldritch invocations, which you unlock at 2nd level, give you some options to improve upon your already sick spell. Agonizing Blast is almost required since it allows you to add your Charisma modifier to the spell's damage. You can maximize it further by taking Eldritch Spear, which increases the range, and Repelling Blast, which lets you push creatures around.
8 Synergize Devil's Sight and Darkness
Sometimes it all just comes together. Warlocks have access to the spell Darkness, which fills a 15-foot bubble with magical dark. Nonmagical sources of light can't illuminate it and even trusty darkvision can't cut through it.
The darkness blinds everyone in the bubble, giving disadvantages to attacks on both sides. But your warlock also has access to an eldritch invocation called Devil's Sight, which gives you the ability to see in all darkness, both magical and not. Have fun mowing down enemies with advantage, but be careful not to inhibit your party too much with this stellar combo.
7 Become A War Caster
The first time you'll get an ability score increase is at 4th level, and you can choose to boost your stats if you want to. But you'll also have the option of choosing a feat. The War Caster feat is incomparably useful for all spellcasting classes.
It gives you advantage on saves to maintain concentration on a spell when you take damage, which is invaluable all by itself. However, you also get the ability to cast spells with hand motions while your hands are full of deadly weapons, perfect for a bladelock, as well as being able to cast spells as a reaction in place of melee opportunity attacks.
6 Become a Spell Sniper
Not every Warlock wants to be a melee fighter, and thanks to the creativity inherent in building this class, they don't have to be. Another great choice for an OP feat is the spell sniper, which is a natural progression for a Warlock, especially one with an Eldritch Blast build.
Spell sniper has the handy ability to double the range of any spell that requires an attack roll, which means your already lethal Eldritch Blast now has a range of up to 240 feet. It's unlikely this will come in handy during every combat scenario, but it can make a huge difference in the right situation.
5 Invoke The Book of Ancient Secrets
You might have decided to take Pact of the Tome instead. It's a solid choice, since it gives you access to a few more cantrips, and they can be from any other class's spell list. But if you really want to get the most out of that build, you're going to need the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation.
Not only does it give you the ability to cast some warlock spells as rituals, saving a spell slot, but you can also inscribe other ritual spells from any other spell list into the book for future use. It gives the warlock a lot of utility and, with some planning, can make or break an encounter.
4 Learn Shadow of Moil
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An obscure spell that envelopes the caster in shadowy flames, which sounds pretty normal, until you consider that these flames dim the light around them instead of strengthening it. The flames also grant the caster resistance to radiant damage and deal 2d8 necrotic damage to anyone within ten feet who hits them with an attack.
The ability to remain obscured from everyone, even your allies, while doing AoE damage is handy anyway, and when you combine it with Hexblade related abilities in a melee battle environment it becomes lethal.
3 Choose The Genie Subclass
Introduced in Tasha's Guide to Everything, the Genie subclass has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best Warlock subclasses in the game. This is thanks to a combination of two of the subclasses early features. At 1st level, you gain Genie's Vessel. This feature allows you to store yourself inside of a Tiny object for a number of hours equal to double your proficiency bonus.
Needless to say, there's no shortage of shenanigans to be had using this ability. It's easy to sneak your character in just about anywhere by placing the vessel on an NPC or cargo headed to a specific location. Additionally, the vessel also increases your damage rolls by your proficiency bonus which is perfect for when you hit multiple times with a spell like eldritch blast.
At 6th level, you gain the Elemental Gift feature which allows you to access a flying (hover) speed of 30 feet for ten minutes as a bonus action. You can do this a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. Considering that Fly is a 3rd level spell, this is a ridiculously good feature that has an endless number of uses both inside and outside of combat.
2 Multiclass Into Paladin
If you decide to go for a more melee-focused warlock and take Pact of the Blade, almost nothing could suit you better than a dip into the Paladin. You get proficiency with all armor and weapons and a healing ability right out of the gate. But what really makes it worth it is the paladin's smite ability.
They're generally bonus actions you use when you hit with a weapon attack that causes extra damage or other fun effects. They cost spell slots and warlocks have the lovely ability to regain all expended slots after a short rest. You can really rain down the fire that way.
1 Actually, Multiclass Into Sorcerer Instead
We know, we just said to take some levels in paladin for a powerful warlock build. And it can be very powerful when paired with the right kind of warlock. But if you don't intend to make a half-caster character, a multiclass into sorcerer is probably the better bet.
Because sorcerers get metamagic. This gives you the option of recycling spell slots into sorcery points, which can be used for other fun sorcerous effects. And, like above, you get those spell slots back after a short rest, which means even more sorcery points.
You might want to check with your DM regarding this specific build though as some DMs may run short rests differently than how you intend to use them. Yes, it's really so good that you ought to check with the game master, and that's saying something.