Dungeons & Dragons: All 9 Official Warlock Subclasses, Ranked (2023)

There are spellcasters with innate abilities, those who study and collect magical items, and those with supernatural patrons. These are not always benevolent deities, as in the case of clerics. Warlocks are the perfect thingcategory for players willing to make a deal in exchange for cool magical powers.

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A Warlock's patron is often a malevolent force of some kind, such as a demon, but depending on the pact you choose, this need not be the case. Fortunately for Warlocks, it's currently a seller's market, so players can choose their second patron, and not all patrons are the same.

Updated May 20, 2023 by Jerel Levy:Dungeons & Dragons is constantly evolving, and with more players comes more ideas and options for how to play each subclass in a game. If you're looking for the D&D 5E warlock subclasses, you're in luck. We've updated this list of abilities and options for all available subclasses, helping you decide which 5E warlock subclasses are perfect for your playstyle. We rank all warlock subclasses to recommend you the best warlock.

9 The immortal

The Immortal Patron is a powerful undead being. Few and powerful gods of the dead matches. Warlocks following Undying minions gain the "Spare the Dying" cantrip, and at 6th level can regain hit points when they use it to stabilize another creature (or land a dying saving throw). Healing on dying saving throws is more useful as it allows the caster to respawn in the middle of a fight without wasting party healing spells, but self healing after casting Spare the Dying is less useful because it still heals the caster, not the unconscious creature the spell was cast on.

These Spare the Dying bars will be useful as many attacks from dead enemies will be redirected to party members. Other abilities, such as not needing food or drink, aging more slowly, and being able to reattach limbs are interesting, but not often mechanically useful. All Warlocks following The Undying should invest in good Perception, as the fact that they don't sleep means the party will almost certainly put them on tracking duty.

8 The loser

This creative take on Warlock connects you with a deity from the underwater realm. This can be a variety of creatures depending on other factors to consider, such as your character type and choice of background. You can cast spells like Guardian Coil and Grasping Tentacles,which are as gruesome as they sound.

However, a downside to this subclass is that most of her useful spells and abilities only work where there is water. An expedition at sea or exploration of a swamp would be ideal locations, but their use is limited to deserts or arid plains.

7 The Hexblade

The Hexblade Patron is a mystical power from the Shadowfell that manifests itself in sensual magical weapons. The best general abilities this subclass provides are the bonus abilities: medium armor, melee weapons, and shields. Warlocks can also use their Charisma modifier on weapon attacks, making them nearly as effective as weapon attacks from a Strength- or Dexterity-focused class.

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The other abilities are less useful. Hexblade's Curse, which improves at higher levels, grants multiple bonuses to attack and defense against a single enemy. Cursed Ghost allows the Warlock to enslave the soul of a slain enemy until the next long rest.These are quite useful, but can only be used once per day. Cursed Specter lasts a while, but Hexblade's Curse only allows the Warlock to be useful for one battle per day. Great for sprints, not marathons.

6 The undead

The "occult" version of Warlock is for players who want to connect with a darker force beyond the grave. Of course, it comes from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, the infamous "vampire" D&D module. You can transform into a new horror form similar to a druid's feral form. This comes with temporary hit points and a new look.

Undead is ideal for building a powerful spellcaster with focused abilities. You also have some spells that make you more durable if you need extra hit points or AC buffs during a fight, and there are feats you can do for melee and melee weapons if you want to make a Warlock, that does some weapon damage. If you're looking for an RPG, it's a good choice for a patron who isn't afraid of death, but knows it firsthand.

5 The big old man

The Great Old One is a mysterious being that cannot be fathomed. But seriously, we all know this is a Lovecraft reference and it's Cthulu. His support starts out underwhelming, providing what is essentially a better version of the cantrip message. Resisting psychic damage and reflecting it is nice, but it's rare enough that its usefulness is limited by what kind of monsters the DM likes to use.

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The best ability is the ability to apply Disadvantage to an enemy attack and gain Advantage against them once per turn. short break. The "Create Thrall" ability looks nice, but enforcing the Charmed state is less mind control than it sounds, and the fact that it requires an incapacitated target means that a Great Old One mage would either have to build their spells around that ability or work with other party members to make the ability work.

4 The Heavenly

The Celestial is a powerful being of the Higher Planes,good for people who want to become priestsbut you do not want to do anything out of prayer and devotion. Usually subclasses that turn a shoe class into a healing role are something to avoid, but this one is pretty good. With access to Cure Wounds and a pool of enhanced healing, Celestial Warlocks can make a better than average secondary healer or even a decent primary healer in a pinch.

Free temporary hit points after each short or long break for the wizard and their allies further increases the usefulness of this subclass. Radiation damage resistance is good, but the bonus to fire damage (the most common form of spell damage) and radiation damage (the type of damage dealt by the free Sacred Flame can take subclass gains) is much better. The ability to come back up after being down to 0 HP and deal area of ​​effect radiation damage is just a bonus to an already useful subclass. It's not necessarily very Warlock-y, but it's effective.

3 Archfey

The Archfey is a powerful fey lord, the perfect patron for Warlocks who wish to draw on the seductive influences of the Feywild. The fact that most subclass abilities allow the Warlock to charm or intimidate targets makes the Archfey a useful protector in and out of combat. Charm mode immunity is useful but very situational, and knocking enemies back is also nice.

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But considering the number of other charm effects the subclass has, it's not that special. The high-level Dark Delirium ability, which places a creature in a personal illusion world, is great for removing threats from a fight for a while. Misty Escape is more fun than useful, but teleportation and invisibility always add some flair, even if they take damage to use.

2 Genie's

The Genie subcategory is an example of making a deal with a morally ambiguous being. This type of wizard can be of any alignment, and their specific powers depend on the type of Genie they choose to serve. Efreeti, for example, is a fire demon, so it's a good choice if you want increased damage. You will receive a comprehensive list of spells based on Genie type, with spells based on the element of the selected Genie partner.

Whichever Cartridge you choose, you can carry a Genie's Vessel as a proper "genie in the lamp" that can be used for buffs if you have it in hand during a fight. You can also magically enter the vat your spirit occupies, disappear and hide inside while still being able to hear outside. Your spirit also gives you a little extra damage from your skill bonus based on the type of spirit you choose.

1 the devil

Faust was right. Selling your soul to the devil for evil forces is easy and fun. Was there something to the Great Satanic Panic after all? Being able to add 1d10 to an ability check or saving throw every short break and being able to choose damage resistance to suit different circumstances are both incredibly powerful.

The temporary hit points you earn from killing enemies are an added bonus and will keep any follower of The Fiend alive in multi-enemy battles. At high levels it's great for dealing massive psychic damage and taking a single enemy out of battle for a turn, though it can only be used once per turn. long break.

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