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The Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock class is one that offers the chance to dole out a huge amount of damage in a multitude of ways. It also has one the best cantrips in the entire game, and can be built in a variety of ways to either become a close-range monster, or a long-range spellcaster capable of controlling the battlefield, robbing enemies of their sight, or just summoning clouds of daggers. This Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock class guide will help you see what the class can achieve, and some of the ways it can turn out depending on your choices.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Class Guide Overview
Class Features
Cantrips: Warlocks have eight different cantrips upon creation, each of which can be cast at the cost of one action point, but you can only memorize two to begin with.
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Blade Ward: Take only half the damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing attacks.Bone Chill: Prevent the target from healing until your next turn. An undead target receives disadvantage on Attack rolls. 1d8 damage.Eldritch Blast: Conjure 1 beam(s) of crackling energy. 1d10 damage.Friends: Gain Advantage on Charisma Checks against a non-hostile creature. Once the spell ends the creature knows it was Charmed, and might accuse the spell caster.Mage Hand: Create a spectral hand that can manipulate and interact with objects.Minor Illusion: Create an illusion that compels nearby creatures to investigate.Poison Spray: Project a puff of noxious gas. 1d12 damage.True Strike: Gain Advantage on your next Attack Roll.
Warlock spell slots: Warlock spell slots are unique in that they can be restored with a short rest, not just a long rest, meaning you can cast spells more often. You start off with two spell slots, but the options differ slightly based on your subclass.
Warlock Subclasses
Warlock subclasses are dictated by the thing they draw power from, with each one offering slightly different spells and bonuses. Here we’ll list the level 1 spells you can choose from for each of the subclasses, along with a unique passive too.
The Fiend
Dark One’s Blessing: The Fiend grants the Dark One’s Blessing, which allows you to gain temporary hitpoints based on your Charisma Modifier and your level whenever you reduce a hostile creature to zero hitpoints.
Level 1 Spells:
Armour of Agathys: Gain 5 temporary hitpoints and deal 5 Cold Damage to any creature that hits you with a melee attack.Arms of Hadar: Call forth tendrils of dark energy that prevent targets from taking reactions. 2d6 damage.Burning Hands: Each flammable target is hit with 3∼18 Fire damage. 3d6 damage.Charm Person: Charm a humanoid to prevent it from attacking you. You gain Advantage on Charisma Checks in dialogue and prevent it from attacking. Enemies have advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed. When the spell ends, the target might accuse you of Charming them.Command: Command a creature to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground or drop their weapon.Expeditious Retreat: Gain Dash immediately and as a bonus action on each of your turns until this spell ends.Hellish Rebuke: The next time you take damage, you use your reaction to surround your attacker in hellish flames. 2d10 damage.Hex: Curse a creature so it takes additional damage whenever you attack it and to inflict Disadvantage on Ability Checks with an Ability of your choosing. If the target dies before the spell ends. you can Hex a new creature without expending a spell slot. 1d6 damage.Protection from Good and Evil: Protect an ally against the attacks and powers of aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. The target can’t be Charmed, Frightened, or possessed by them, and when these creatures attack it, they do so with disadvantage.Witch Bolt: Link yourself to a target with a bolt of lightning. Deal an additional 1∼12 Lightning Damage each turn by activating it. 1d12 damage.
The Great Old One
Mortal Reminder: When you land a Critical Hit against a creature, that creature and any nearby enemies are Frightened until the end of their next turn.
Level 1 Spells:
Armour of Agathys: Gain 5 temporary hitpoints and deal 5 Cold Damage to any creature that hits you with a melee attack.Arms of Hadar: Call forth tendrils of dark energy that prevent targets from taking reactions. 2d6 damage.Command: Command a creature to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground or drop their weapon.Dissonant Whispers: Whisper a discordant melody to a creature and Frighten it. On Save: Target only takes half damage.Expeditious Retreat: Gain Dash immediately and as a bonus action on each of your turns until this spell ends.Hellish Rebuke: The next time you take damage, you use your reaction to surround your attacker in hellish flames. 2d10 damage.Hex: Curse a creature so it takes additional damage whenever you attack it and to inflict Disadvantage on Ability Checks with an Ability of your choosing. If the target dies before the spell ends. you can Hex a new creature without expending a spell slot. 1d6 damage.Protection from Good and Evil: Protect an ally against the attacks and powers of aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. The target can’t be Charmed, Frightened, or possessed by them, and when these creatures attack it, they do so with disadvantage.Tasha’s Hideous Laughter: Inflict a creature with fits of laughter, leaving it Prone without the ability to get up.Witch Bolt: Link yourself to a target with a bolt of lightning. Deal an additional 1∼12 Lightning Damage each turn by activating it. 1d12 damage.
The Archfey
Fey Presence: Charm or Frighten nearby foes with the feywild’s beguiling, disturbing magics.
Level 1 Spells:
Armour of Agathys: Gain 5 temporary hitpoints and deal 5 Cold Damage to any creature that hits you with a melee attack.Arms of Hadar: Call forth tendrils of dark energy that prevent targets from taking reactions. 2d6 damage.Command: Command a creature to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground or drop their weapon.Expeditious Retreat: Gain Dash immediately and as a bonus action on each of your turns until this spell ends.Faerie Fire: Encase multiple targets in colorful light. The targets turn visible, and Attack Rolls against the targets have Advantage.Hellish Rebuke: The next time you take damage, you use your reaction to surround your attacker in hellish flames. 2d10 damage.Hex: Curse a creature so it takes additional damage whenever you attack it and to inflict Disadvantage on Ability Checks with an Ability of your choosing. If the target dies before the spell ends. you can Hex a new creature without expending a spell slot. 1d6 damage.Protection from Good and Evil: Protect an ally against the attacks and powers of aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. The target can’t be Charmed, Frightened, or possessed by them, and when these creatures attack it, they do so with disadvantage.Sleep: Put creatures into a magical slumber. Select targets up to a combined 24 hit points.Witch Bolt: Link yourself to a target with a bolt of lightning. Deal an additional 1∼12 Lightning Damage each turn by activating it. 1d12 damage.
Proficiencies
Aside from your race’s proficiencies, you’ll naturally have proficiency with simple weapons and light armour as a Warlock. Because of the versatility of the class, there are a few options for the best race to pick when creating a Warlock, and we’ll get to those in the next section.
Pacts
Along with subclasses, Warlocks can further specialise themselves thanks to a Pact choice that occurs once they hit level 3. The three pacts are Pact of the Chain, Pact of the Blade, and Pact of the Tome. These boons get stronger once your Warlock hits level 5.
Pact of the Chain: Gain the service of a familiar, a fey spirit that takes a form you choose. This can be an animal, imp or quasit
Pact of the Blade: You can Summon a pact weapon, or Bind the one you are wielding, making it magical. Pact weapons use the wielder’s Spellcasting Ability Modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity
Pact of the Tome: Your patron grants you a grimoire called The Book of Shadows, which allows you to cast Guidance, Vicious Mockery, and Thorn Whip.
Character Creation Picks
Best Race and Sub-Race
You can pick any race with a Warlock and probably have a good time, but if you’re looking for ones that complement the versatility of the class, then your best bet is the Drow, either version Aside from looking cool, this race also offers some useful bonuses.
Base Racial Speed: Nine MetersDrow Weapon Training: Grants proficiency with Rapiers, Shortswords, and Hand Crossbow.Fey Ancestry: Gives Advantage on Saving Throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.Superior Darkvision: You can see in the dark up to 24m.Perception Proficiency: Grants Perception Proficiency.Faerie Fire at level 3: Encase multiple targets in colorful light. The targets turn visible, and Attack Rolls against the targets have Advantage.Darkness at level 5: Create a cloud of magical darkness to Heavily Obscure and Blind creatures within. Creatures cannot make ranged attacks into or out of the darkness.
Best Background
As Warlocks delight in having more Charisma, it’s generally a good idea to lean into that by picking the Guild Artisan background which grants both Insight and Persuasion proficiencies.
Best Abilities
As the Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock class casts spells that are powered by Charisma, that’s generally the state you’ll want to boost the highest. We also like taking Consitution for survivability, and then Dexterity as the tertiary stat.
Strength: 8Dexterity: 13Constitution: 16Intelligence: 10Wisdom: 10Charisma: 17
With that, you now know everything you need about the Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock class. All you have to do now is get out there and start casting Eldritch Blast.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is filled to the brim with activities and secrets. You’ll no doubt be part of an adventure that can take countless hours to complete. For other tips, you can visit our BG3 guides hub.
