With a pseudodragon curled on his shoulder, a young elf in golden robes smiles warmly, weaving a magical charm into his honeyed words and bending the palace sentinel to his will.
As flames spring to life in her hands, a wizened human whispers the secret name of her demonic patron, infusing her spell with fiendish magic.
Shifting his gaze between a battered tome and the odd alignment of the stars overhead, a wild-eyed tiefling chants the mystic ritual that will open a doorway to a distant world.
Warlocks are individuals who have struck a pact with a supernatural entity for arcane power Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as fey nobles, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power.
Sworn and Beholden
A warlock is defined by a pact with an otherworldly being. Sometimes the relationship between warlock and patron is like that of a cleric and a deity, though the beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are not gods. A warlock might lead a cult dedicated to a demon prince, an archdevil, or an utterly alien entity—beings not typically served by clerics. More often, though, the arrangement is similar to that between a master and an apprentice. The warlock learns and grows in power, at the cost of occasional services performed on the patron’s behalf. The magic bestowed on a warlock ranges from minor but lasting alterations to the warlock's being (such as the ability to see in darkness or to read any language) to access to powerful spells. Unlike bookish wizards, warlocks supplement their magic with some facility at hand-to-hand combat.
Delvers into Secrets
Warlocks are driven by an insatiable need for power, which compels them into their pacts and shapes their lives. This thirst drives warlocks into their pacts and shapes their later careers as well. Stories of warlocks binding themselves to fiends are widely known, but many warlocks serve patrons that are not fiendish. Sometimes a traveler in the wilds comes to a strangely beautiful tower, meets its fey lord or lady, and stumbles into a pact without being fully aware of it. And sometimes, while pouring over tomes of forbidden lore, a brilliant but crazed student’s mind is opened to realities beyond the material world and to the alien beings that dwell in the outer void. A warlock’s pact can be driven by glory, desperation, curiosity or a myriad of different reasons. Regardless, the nature of such pacts often drive warlock’s to adventure so as to explore their powers, satisfy their patrons and achieve their goals.
As you make your warlock character, spend some time thinking about your patron and the obligations that your pact imposes upon you. What led you to make the pact, and how did you make contact with your patron? Were you seduced into summoning a devil, or did you seek out the ritual that would allow you to make contact with an alien elder god? Did you search for your patron, or did your patron find and choose you? Do you chafe under the obligations of your pact or serve joyfully in anticipation of the rewards promised to you? Work with your DM to determine how big a part your pact will play in your character’s adventuring career. Your patron’s demands might drive you into adventures, or they might consist entirely of small favors you can do between adventures.
What kind of relationship do you have with your patron? Is it friendly, antagonistic, uneasy, or romantic? How important does your patron consider you to be? What part do you play in your patron’s plans? Do you know other servants of your patron?
How does your patron communicate with you? If you have a familiar, it might occasionally speak with your patron’s voice. Some warlocks find messages from their patrons etched on trees, mingled among tea leaves, or adrift in the clouds—messages that only the warlock can see. Other warlocks converse with their patrons in dreams or waking visions, or deal only with intermediaries.
You must have a Charisma score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.
The Warlock | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Spell Slots | Slot Level | Invocations Known |
| 1st | +2 | Otherworldly Patron, Pact Magic, Pact Boon | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1st | - |
| 2nd | +2 | Eldritch Invocations | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1st | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Warlocks Curse | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2nd | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2nd | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3rd | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | Otherworldly Patron feature | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3rd | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4th | 4 | |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4th | 4 |
| 9th | +4 | Pact Boon Improvement | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5th | 5 |
| 10th | +4 | Otherworldly Patron feature, Pact Boon Improvement | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5th | 5 |
| 11th | +4 | Mystic Arcanum (6th level) | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5th | 5 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 7 | 3 | 5th | 6 |
| 13th | +5 | Mystic Arcanum (7th level) | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5th | 6 |
| 14th | +5 | Otherworldly Patron feature, Offering | 4 | 8 | 3 | 5th | 6 |
| 15th | +5 | Mystic Arcanum (8th level) | 4 | 9 | 3 | 5th | 7 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 9 | 3 | 5th | 7 |
| 17th | +6 | Mystic Arcanum (9th level) | 4 | 10 | 4 | 5th | 7 |
| 18th | +6 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 5th | 8 | |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5th | 8 |
| 20th | +6 | Eldritch Master | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5th | 8 |
Quick Build
You can make a warlock quickly by following these suggestions. First, Charisma should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the charlatan background. Third, choose the chill touch and minor illusion cantrips, along with the 1st-level spells ray of sickness and witch bolt.
Class Features
As a warlock, you gain the following class features.
HitPoints
Hit Dice: 1d8 per warlock level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per warlock level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
(a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
(a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
Leather armor, any simple weapon, and two daggers
Otherworldly Patron
At 1st level, you have struck a bargain with an otherworldly being of your choice. All options are listed and detailed in the Otherworldly Patrons section later in this document. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Patron Spells
Each patron has a list of spells, its patron spells, that you gain at the warlock levels noted in the patron description. Once you gain a patron spell, you know the spell and it doesn't count against your number of spells known. You cannot replace patron spells with other warlock spells when you gain a level as per the pact magic feature.
If you have a patron spell that doesn't appear on the warlock spell list, the spell is nonetheless a warlock spell for you.
Pact Magic
Your arcane research and the magic bestowed on you by your patron have given you facility with spells. See chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spell List section of this document for the warlock spell list.
Cantrips
You know the Eldritch Blast cantrip and two other cantrips of your choice from the warlock spell list. You learn additional warlock cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Warlock table.
Spell Slots
The Warlock table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your warlock spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell thunderwave, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a 3rd-level spell.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
At 1st level, you know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the warlock spell list. The Spells Known column of the Warlock table shows when you learn more warlock spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table's Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 6th level, for example, you learn a new warlock spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.
Additionally, whenever you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the warlock spells you know and replace it with another spell from the warlock spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
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.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (found in chapter 5) as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.
Pact Boon
At 1st level, your otherworldly patron bestows a gift upon you. You gain one of the following features of your choice. Your pact boon is improved when you reach level 9 in this class.
Pact of the Chain
You learn the Find Familiar spell and can cast it as a ritual. The spell doesn’t count against your number of spells known and does not require material components for you. When you cast the spell, you can choose one of the normal forms for your familiar or one of the following special forms: imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or sprite. The familiar’s maximum health is increased by an amount equal to your warlock level and you add your proficiency bonus to its AC, saving throws and attack rolls. Your familiar’s attacks benefit from your Warlock’s Curse feature and count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical weapons. If your familiar forces a creature to make a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own, or use any other one of its actions.
When you reach 10th level in this class, you can summon or banish your familiar as a bonus action instead of an action. In addition you can command your familiar to attack as a bonus action. Finally, you can cast Find Familiar as an action without using a spell slot and without any costly material components. When you’ve cast the spell this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.
Pact of the Blade
You can use a bonus action to create a pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this weapon takes each time you create it (see chapter 5 for weapon options). You are proficient with your pact weapon while you wield it and counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities.Your pact weapon can also be used as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells. Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die.
You can transform one magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the weapon, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way. The weapon ceases being your pact weapon if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different weapon, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The weapon appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.
When you cast a spell that has a casting time of one action and only targets one creature, you can deliver that spell through your weapon. Make an attack with your weapon when you cast the spell. The range of your weapon attack is unaffected by the range of the spell. On a hit the target takes damage from both your weapon attack and suffers the effect the spell cast through it.
Any spell attack required for this casting of the spell is considered to have hit the target. If the spell enables you to make multiple attacks in one action (ex. eldritch blast or scorching rays) then all attacks hit the target that was hit by the weapon attack. They count as a single attack for spells and features like Warlock’s Curse. If a spell allows you to make multiple attacks with your action over the course of multiple rounds (ex. flame blade or vampiric touch) then you make another weapon attack each time you take the action to make another spell attack on subsequent rounds.
If the weapon attack misses then the target is unaffected by the spell.
When you reach 10th level in this class, you can make a weapon attack as a bonus action after using your action to cast a spell of first level or higher, you can make this weapon attack even if you cast the spell through your weapon with the pact of the blade feature.
Pact of the Talisman
Your patron gives you an amulet, a talisman that can aid the wearer when the need is great. When the wearer fails an ability check, attack roll or saving throw, they can add a d4 to the roll, potentially turning the roll into a success. This benefit can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and all expended uses are restored when you finish a long rest.
If you lose the talisman, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous amulet. The talisman turns to ash when you die.
In addition, you gain one bonus Eldritch Invocation which does not count against the number of invocations known. Otherwise it abides by the same rules and restrictions as normal and can be replaced when you gain a level in this class.
When you reach 10th level in this class, the d4s from your talisman are increased to d8s and you gain another bonus eldritch invocation, which does not count against your number of invocations known or the previous bonus invocation gained from the Pact of the Talisman feature. Otherwise it abides by the same rules and restrictions as normal and can be replaced when you gain a level in this class.
Pact of the Tome
You can use Intelligence, instead of Charisma as your spellcasting ability modifier for your warlock spells, warlock class features and eldritch invocations.
Your patron gives you a grimoire called the Book of Shadows, which can be used as a spellcasting focus. Choose two 1st-level spells that have the ritual tag from any class’s spell list. The spells appear in the book and don’t count against the number of spells you know. With your Book of Shadows in hand, you can cast the chosen spells as rituals. You can’t cast the spells except as rituals, unless you’ve learned them by some other means. You can also cast a warlock spell you know as a ritual if it has the ritual tag. On your adventures, you can add other ritual spells to your Book of Shadows. When you find such a spell, you can add it to the book if the spell’s level is equal to or less than half your warlock level (rounded up) and if you can spare the time to transcribe the spell. For each level of the spell, the transcription process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp for the rare inks needed to inscribe it.
If you lose your Book of Shadows, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to receive a replacement from your patron. The replacement contains all content that was in the previous book. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous book. The book turns to ash when you die.
When you reach 10th level in this class, you deal additional damage with your warlock spells and cantrips equal to your spellcasting ability modifier.
Eldritch Invocations
In your study of occult lore, you have unearthed eldritch invocations, fragments of forbidden knowledge that imbue you with an abiding magical ability.
At 2nd level, you gain two eldritch invocations of your choice. Your invocation options are detailed here. When you gain certain warlock levels, you gain additional invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations Known column of the Warlock table. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the invocations you know and replace it with another invocation that you could learn at that level.
Warlock’s Curse
Your service to your patron has granted you the ability to curse your enemies with pain and misfortune. As bonus action you can curse an enemy you can see for 1 hour. The cursed enemy takes additional damage from all your attacks equal to your proficiency bonus. If your attack does multiple different types of damage then you choose which type is increased. When you curse the target, choose one ability score. The cursed enemy has disadvantage on ability checks made with that ability. An enemy can only be affected by one of your warlock’s curses at a time and if you try to curse the target again then the previous curse immediately ends. The curse can be removed with the spells Remove Curse or Greater Restoration, or similar magic.
Eldritch Versatility
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, representing a change of focus in your occult studies:
Replace one cantrip you learned from this class's Pact Magic feature with another cantrip from the warlock spell list.
If you're 12th level or higher, replace one spell from your Mystic Arcanum feature with another warlock spell of the same level.
If this change makes you ineligible for any of your Eldritch Invocations, you must also replace them now, choosing invocations for which you qualify.
Extra Attack
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Moreover, you can cast one of your cantrips in place of one of those attacks.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Mystic Arcanum
At 11th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 6th-level spell from the warlock spell list as this arcanum.
You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot. You must finish a long rest before you can do so again.
At higher levels, you gain more warlock spells of your choice that can be cast in this way: one 7th-level spell at 13th level, one 8th-level spell at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell at 17th level. You regain all uses of your Mystic Arcanum when you finish a long rest.
Offering
Starting at 14th level, you have served your patron well and now they grant you a new exchange. A piece of your life force in exchange for more power. As a bonus action you can make an offering to your patron. Doing so causes you to take 2d8 necrotic damage which can not be resisted in any way and the cost of your next offering increases to 4d8. The cost increases for each offering by double the dice and resets back to 2d8 upon completing a long rest. For your offering you are granted one of the following blessings:
Fortune: You roll three times and choose which result for your next ability check or saving throw. If you would have advantage you instead roll four times, whereas if you have disadvantage you roll two times.
Strength: The next time you cast a Warlock spell of 5th level or lower that deals damage, you don’t roll damage for the spell and instead deal the maximum possible amount of damage.
Youth: You regain one used Warlock spell slot.
If the damage from your offering reduces you to 0 hit points, you die.
Eldritch Master
At 20th level, you can draw on your inner reserve of mystical power while entreating your patron to regain expended spell slots. You can spend 1 minute entreating your patron for aid to regain all your expended spell slots from your Pact Magic feature. Once you regain spell slots with this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again.