Warlock 5eClass Guide & NPC Generator
Patrons, the Pact Magic table, every invocation worth taking and the stats that matter — then forge a finished warlock NPC, portrait and all, without typing a thing twice.
A warlock did not study and was not born with it — they asked, and something answered. Two spell slots, always at your highest level, back after a short rest, and a cantrip that never runs out.
Choose your subclass
Warlock Subclasses — The Otherworldly Patrons
Seven things that answered. Choose one; the forge follows — and reads the contract.
The bargain
The Fiend
Temporary hit points every time you kill something. The classic deal — power now, an invoice later, and the invoice is you.
Full The Fiend guide →The Forge
Forge The Fiend Warlock
Everything you have chosen travels with you and arrives pre-filled. Nothing to type twice — just press Generate.
The Fiend · level 5 · pre-filled for you
Role in party
The Bargain Struck
Warlock = always-on pressure — Eldritch Blast every round, short-rest slots at max level, and invocations that never switch off.
You want something dangerous to do every single turn without tracking a spell budget — point the beam, keep Hex up, and never run dry.
Forged this morning
The Cursed Knight
The Hexblade · Level 9 · Lawful Neutral
Ser Idris Vane
The sword chose him, not the other way round. He has stopped arguing with it in public, which everyone agrees is an improvement.
Chosen lineage
Best Races for a Warlock
Charisma is the whole engine, so the best lineages either raise it or hand a Hexblade the toughness a d8 caster in the front line badly needs.
TieflingGUIDE →
The signature warlock chassis: Charisma, darkvision, fire resistance and an innate spell or two — flavour and function in one.
Half-ElfGUIDE →
Charisma plus two floating points into CON and DEX, darkvision and a fistful of skills — the sociable, well-rounded warlock.
Variant HumanGUIDE →
Eldritch Adept or Fey Touched online at level 1, plus a Charisma bump — the build comes together immediately.
DragonbornGUIDE →
A point of Charisma and a breath weapon for a second area option — leans into an imposing, draconic-pact look.
Half-Orc (Hexblade melee)GUIDE →
Relentless Endurance and Savage Attacks make a Pact of the Blade Hexblade brutally hard to put down in the front line.
Level 3
Pact Boons — Your Signature Gift
At level 3 your patron makes it physical. One boon defines how the warlock actually plays — a blade, a servant, or a book.
Pact of the Blade
Summon a weapon you are proficient with. With Hexblade it uses Charisma — this is the melee warlock, and Thirsting Blade gives it a second attack.
Pact of the Chain
A familiar that can attack — imp, quasit, pseudodragon or sprite. The sprite’s invisibility and sleep arrows alone are worth the boon.
Pact of the Tome
Three cantrips from any class list, and with Book of Ancient Secrets, free rituals — enormous flexibility for a class starved of spells known.
The other half of the class
Eldritch Invocations
Permanent, always-on upgrades you swap and stack as you level. Agonizing Blast is not optional and everyone knows it.
Where the points go
Warlock Builds — Where the Points Go
The least stat-hungry caster in the game. Charisma drives your attack and save DC — and with Hexblade, your weapon too — while Constitution keeps Hex on.
Blaster (default)
Eldritch Blast with Agonizing Blast is your whole turn, forever. Charisma is the damage; Constitution holds Hex up.
Hexblade (melee)
Charisma does attack and damage, so you never need Strength or Dexterity for the weapon — the most stat-efficient melee build in the game.
Face / infiltrator
Mask of Many Faces, silver-tongued trickery, and a Charisma that was already maxed for casting. The party’s social solution.
Top picks
Best Feats for a Warlock
Charisma is already high, so warlock feats buy new tricks and protect the one concentration spell — Hex — that everything depends on.
Multiclass combos
Best Warlock Multiclass Combos
Short-rest slots and a Charisma engine make the warlock one of the strongest multiclass dips in the game — a couple of levels changes another class entirely.
Warlock / PaladinGUIDE →
“Padlock.” Short-rest Pact slots refuel Divine Smite all day, and both key off Charisma — a smiting powerhouse that never runs empty.
Warlock / SorcererGUIDE →
“Coffeelock.” Convert short-rest pact slots into sorcery points into more slots — a near-infinite fuel loop that DMs watch nervously.
Warlock / BardGUIDE →
Eldritch Blast plus Agonizing Blast gives a bard a reliable ranged attack, while Charisma powers both — a face caster with real damage.
Armory
Best Warlock Equipment by Tier
What to carry as you level — from a first focus to the regalia of a fully bargained-out warlock.
The Bargain
Spell List
A short, sharp list cast at maximum level. Hex goes up first and stays up; the rest are picked for impact, because you know very few. Spellcasting is online from level 1.
Pact Magic
Pact Magic Slots by Level
Not like the other casters. You get 1–4 slots, always cast at your highest level, and they all come back on a short rest. 6th–9th level spells arrive separately as Mystic Arcanum, once per long rest each.
| Warlock level | Slots | Slot level |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Level 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Level 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Level 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Level 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Level 6 | 2 | 3 |
| Level 7 | 2 | 4 |
| Level 8 | 2 | 4 |
| Level 9 | 2 | 5 |
| Level 10 | 2 | 5 |
| Level 11 | 3 | 5 |
| Level 12 | 3 | 5 |
| Level 13 | 3 | 5 |
| Level 14 | 3 | 5 |
| Level 15 | 3 | 5 |
| Level 16 | 3 | 5 |
| Level 17 | 4 | 5 |
| Level 18 | 4 | 5 |
| Level 19 | 4 | 5 |
| Level 20 | 4 | 5 |
The Long Debt
Features by Level
From the forge
Warlocks Made Here
Six patrons, six contracts. Take any one — the whole build travels with it.
Serath Vael
Made a deal she’d make again — the terms are just now coming due, and she is still not sorry.
Use this build →
Ser Idris Vane
The sword chose him, not the other way round. He has stopped arguing with it in public.
Use this build →
Quill
Answers questions you have not asked. Her patron has never spoken and may not have noticed her.
Use this build →
Thistledown
Bound by a bargain worded so beautifully that he keeps every word and none of the meaning.
Use this build →
Brother Anselm
A warlock who heals. Nobody at the temple is comfortable with where the light comes from, including him.
Use this build →
Zahra of the Vessel
Lives in a bottle between jobs. Insists the rent is reasonable and refuses to say what it is.
Use this build →Counsel
Frequently Asked
What is a warlock in D&D 5e?
A Charisma caster who made a bargain rather than studying. Warlocks have very few spell slots — but the slots are always your highest level and come back on a short rest, and Eldritch Blast plus invocations means you always have something to do.
How does Pact Magic work?
Unlike every other caster, you get 1–4 slots, always cast at your maximum level, and refill them on a short rest instead of a long one. From 9th level that means two 5th-level castings per rest — a Counterspell that stops anything of 5th level or lower with no check, or a 6d10 Hellish Rebuke — while a wizard holds one 5th-level slot all day.
What is the best warlock patron?
Hexblade, by a wide margin — Charisma to attack and damage makes it the most stat-efficient melee build in the game. The Genie is the strongest of the newer ones; Celestial is the only warlock that heals; Great Old One is the best flavour.
What invocations should I take?
Agonizing Blast is effectively mandatory — it adds Charisma to every Eldritch Blast beam. Then Devil’s Sight (with the Darkness spell) to fight blind enemies while seeing, Eldritch Spear for range, and Book of Ancient Secrets for free rituals.
What are the best stats for a warlock?
Charisma first, always — spell save DC, attack, and with Hexblade your weapon damage too. Constitution second to hold concentration on Hex. Dexterity third for armour class. Warlock is the least stat-hungry caster in the game.
Warlock vs Sorcerer — which should I play?
Both cast off Charisma. Warlocks get short-rest slots, invocations and Eldritch Blast — always-on, low-maintenance, great in long adventuring days. Sorcerers get Metamagic and far more slots per long rest. Warlock for consistency; sorcerer for burst.
Is Eldritch Blast really that good?
Yes. The cantrip itself grows to four beams — two at 5th level, three at 11th, four at 17th — and Agonizing Blast adds your Charisma modifier to each one. Best cantrip in the game by damage, and it needs no slot at all. It is why a warlock with zero slots left is still dangerous.
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