Warlock 5e: The Complete Class Guide

The Warlock made a deal. They don't talk about it much. The deal probably wasn't great in the fine print, but it came with magic, so they took it.

Mechanically, the Warlock is the oddest class in 5e. They're a full caster who isn't a full caster. They have fewer spell slots than anyone, but their slots always cast at the highest level they can. They have Eldritch Blast, the most important cantrip in the game. They have Invocations, semi-permanent magical upgrades. They have subclass-granted rituals, patron pacts, and weird flavor that makes every Warlock feel distinct.

The Pitch

Warlock core features:

• Otherworldly Patron at level 1. Your pact's benefactor. Determines bonus spells, some features.
• Pact Magic. Spellcasting that works differently from everyone else. You always have exactly 2 slots at level 2 (scaling to 4 at level 11+), but those slots are always cast at your highest Pact Magic level. Your slots recover on a short rest, not a long rest.
• Eldritch Invocations at level 2. Pick 2 at level 2, more at later levels. Semi-permanent magical modifications.
• Pact Boon at level 3. Pact of the Blade, Pact of the Chain, Pact of the Tome, or Pact of the Talisman (in some rulesets).
• Mystic Arcanum at level 11. Spell slots above 5th level. One spell per level from 6th to 9th, once per long rest.

The combination of short-rest slots, Invocation customization, and Eldritch Blast makes Warlock a distinct caster.

Stat Priorities

1. Charisma (primary).
2. Constitution. HP, concentration.
3. Dexterity. AC, initiative.
4. Strength, Wisdom, Intelligence. Dump.

Classic Warlock: STR 8, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 16.

Eldritch Blast: The Cantrip That Matters

Eldritch Blast is a ranged spell attack cantrip that deals 1d10 force damage. It scales with character level (not class level): 2 beams at level 5, 3 beams at level 11, 4 beams at level 17.

A level 17 character with Eldritch Blast makes four d10 attacks per turn. With Invocations (Agonizing Blast adds Charisma modifier to each beam; Repelling Blast knocks targets back 10 feet), you have a nuclear-grade cantrip that never uses a spell slot.

The Agonizing Blast + Repelling Blast combo:

• Agonizing: each beam deals 1d10 + Cha mod force damage.
• Repelling: each beam knocks the target back 10 feet on hit.
• Four beams at level 17: 4d10 + 4xCha damage. Knockback of 40 feet.

This is a meaningful damage output with no resource cost. You can fire it every turn, forever.

For a complete breakdown of the action economy, see our action economy guide.

Pact Magic: Understanding the Slot System

Warlock slots are unusual:

• Level 1: 1 slot
• Level 2: 2 slots
• Levels 3-10: 2 slots
• Levels 11-16: 3 slots
• Levels 17+: 4 slots

All slots are the same level, and that level is:

• Level 1: 1st
• Level 3: 2nd
• Level 5: 3rd
• Level 7: 4th
• Level 9-19: 5th
• Level 20: 5th (Arcanum handles 6-9)

So a level 9 Warlock has 2 slots, both 5th level. Casting Hex? It's upcast to 5th level automatically.

Short rest recovery makes Warlock unique. Take two short rests per day, recover all slots. Three short rests, more slots. In practice, you have 4-6 slots per adventuring day instead of 2.

Eldritch Invocations

Invocations are Warlock's customization feature. Pick 2 at level 2, more at higher levels.

Core picks:

• Agonizing Blast. Add Cha to each Eldritch Blast beam. Top pick.
• Repelling Blast. 10-foot push on EB hit. Great for battlefield control.
• Devil's Sight. See normally in magical darkness, up to 120 feet. Combo with Darkness spell to be the only person who can see. Absurdly good.
• Armor of Shadows. Cast Mage Armor on yourself at will.
• Mask of Many Faces. Cast Disguise Self at will.
• Eldritch Sight. Cast Detect Magic at will.
• Book of Ancient Secrets (Tome pact required). Cast rituals from any class.
• Thirsting Blade (Blade pact required). Attack twice with Extra Attack.
• Lifedrinker (Blade pact required). Add Cha mod to weapon attack damage.

At level 2, Agonizing Blast + Devil's Sight is a common pair. Invocations change at level-up, so you can retrain.

Subclasses (Patrons)

The SRD Warlock is The Fiend.

The Fiend

• Expanded Spell List. Burning Hands, Command, Blindness/Deafness, Scorching Ray, Fireball, Stinking Cloud, Fire Shield, Wall of Fire, Hallow, Insect Plague.
• Dark One's Blessing at level 1. Gain temporary HP equal to your Charisma mod + Warlock level when you reduce a creature to 0 HP.
• Dark One's Own Luck at level 6. Add a d10 to one ability check or save. Once per short rest.
• Fiendish Resilience at level 10. Choose a damage type after each short rest, gain resistance to that damage.
• Hurl Through Hell at level 14. Once per long rest, send a creature to another plane for a round. Extra psychic damage.

Fiend is a combat-focused patron with bonus HP from kills and good damage spells.

Outside the SRD

The Great Old One (Cthulhu-like, telepathy, mind magic), The Archfey (fey, charms), The Hexblade (often combined with a weapon, very strong and sometimes considered overpowered), Celestial, Genie, Fathomless, Undead.

Hexblade is widely considered the strongest, but SRD gives you Fiend, which is strong on its own.

Pact Boons

Chosen at level 3:

• Pact of the Blade. Summon a magical weapon as a bonus action. Bonds to you. Can be any melee weapon. Invocations can make it ranged (Eldritch Smite exists in some rulesets).
• Pact of the Chain. Bind a familiar (imp, quasit, sprite, pseudodragon, or sphinx of lore). Useful scouts and minor combat helpers.
• Pact of the Tome. Get a Book of Shadows. Learn 3 cantrips from any class. With Book of Ancient Secrets invocation, also get rituals.

For a blaster Warlock, Tome is usually best. For a melee Warlock, Blade. For an infiltrator, Chain.

Warlock in Solo Play

Warlock is A-tier solo. The reasons:

Strengths:

• Short rest recovery. More spell slots per adventuring day than full casters who only recover on long rest.
• Eldritch Blast. Endless ranged damage, no slots required.
• Hex concentration. +1d6 damage per attack on target, scales well.
• Invocations for utility. At-will Mage Armor, Disguise Self, Detect Magic, etc. means you don't burn slots on utility.
• Dark One's Blessing. Temp HP after kills creates a sustainability loop.

Weaknesses:

• d8 hit die. Moderate HP.
• Low AC unless you have Armor of Shadows or equip armor via Pact of the Blade.
• Few slots. Big spells are rare per encounter.

Solo Warlock is an Eldritch Blast gun with Hex for bonus damage and 2-4 leveled spells you save for emergencies.

For more, see our classes ranked for solo play.

Leveling Path

• Level 1: Otherworldly Patron, Pact Magic.
• Level 2: Eldritch Invocations (2).
• Level 3: Pact Boon.
• Level 5: 3rd-level slot.
• Level 7: 4th-level slot.
• Level 9: 5th-level slot.
• Level 11: Mystic Arcanum (6th-level spell).
• Level 13: Mystic Arcanum (7th-level).
• Level 15: Mystic Arcanum (8th-level).
• Level 17: Mystic Arcanum (9th-level).
• Level 20: Eldritch Master (spend 1 minute regaining all slots).

Common Warlock Mistakes

Not short resting. If you don't short rest, you don't get your slots back. Prioritize short rests. In solo play, you can take as many as you want between encounters.

Ignoring Eldritch Blast. Even casters who pick EB sometimes forget that it's their best damage option. It scales automatically and never costs a slot.

Picking wrong Invocations. Agonizing Blast is mandatory if you use EB. Don't skip it.

Forgetting Hex. Cast it on round 1 of every important fight. +1d6 per attack is gigantic over a combat.

Wasting upcast slots on low-level spells. Your slots always cast at max level. Casting Magic Missile at 5th level is 5 missiles, which is solid, but casting Counterspell at 5th level to counter a 1st-level spell is a waste. Plan around your slot level.

The Endlessness and the Warlock

Our AI Dungeon Master handles Pact Magic short-rest recovery, Invocation effects (Agonizing Blast's Cha bonus, Devil's Sight's darkness seeing, etc.), Mystic Arcanum daily use tracking, and the unusual Warlock slot level mechanics. When you cast Hold Person as a Warlock, the system upcasts it automatically to your Pact Magic slot level.

For related reads, our concentration rules, action economy, and spell list complement this guide.

Final Verdict

Warlock is the class to play when you want to feel like your character has a story behind them and a combat role that's unique. You cast fewer but bigger spells, you blast constantly with Eldritch Blast, and your resource cycle rewards breaking up adventures with short rests.

If you love the idea of a pact-maker who trades inventory of "normal wizard slots" for "always a big slot" and "always Eldritch Blast" and "semi-permanent magical upgrades," Warlock is your class.

Start a Warlock on The Endlessness, pick The Fiend, take Agonizing Blast, and blow the doors off.