Warlock
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 seekers of the knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. Through pacts made with mysterious beings of supernatural power, warlocks unlock magical effects both subtle and spectacular. 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. They are comfortable in light armor and know how to use simple weapons.
Delvers into Secrets
Warlocks are driven by an insatiable need for knowledge and 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 poring 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.
Once a pact is made, a warlock's thirst for knowledge and power can't be slaked with mere study and research. No one makes a pact with such a mighty patron if he or she doesn't intend to use the power thus gained. Rather, the vast majority of warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of their goals, which typically means some kind of adventuring. Furthermore, the demands of their patrons drive warlocks toward adventure.
Creating a Warlock
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.
Variant: Charisma Warlock
Warlocks are driven by an insatiable need for knowledge and power. Their ability to find and fathom creatures of great power determines their ability as a warlock, so they use Intelligence. If you prefer, you can use a Charisma-based warlock instead. A Charisma-based warlock gains proficiency in Charisma saving throws instead of Intelligence saving throws. When a warlock class feature refers to your Intelligence modifier or score, use your Charisma modifier or score instead.
The Warlock
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | Invocations Known |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Eldritch Blast, Otherworldly Patron, Pact Magic | 2 | 2 | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Eldritch Invocations | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 3rd | +2 | Pact Boon | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 5th | +3 | Empowered Blast | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 6th | +3 | Otherworldly Patron Feature | 3 | 7 | 3 |
| 7th | +3 | — | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| 9th | +4 | — | 3 | 10 | 5 |
| 10th | +4 | Otherworldly Patron Feature | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| 11th | +4 | Empowered Blast (2), Mystic Arcanum (6th) | 4 | 11 | 5 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 11 | 6 |
| 13th | +5 | Mystic Arcanum (7th) | 4 | 12 | 6 |
| 14th | +5 | Otherworldly Patron Feature | 4 | 12 | 6 |
| 15th | +5 | Mystic Arcanum (8th) | 4 | 13 | 7 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 13 | 7 |
| 17th | +6 | Empowered Blast (3), Mystic Arcanum (9th) | 4 | 14 | 7 |
| 18th | +6 | — | 4 | 14 | 8 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 15 | 8 |
| 20th | +6 | Eldritch Master | 4 | 15 | 8 |
Quick Build
You can make a warlock quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the charlatan background. Third, choose the mage hand and chill touch cantrips, along with the 1st-level spells charm person and hex.
Optional Rule: Multiclassing
If your group uses this optional rule, here's what you need to know if you choose the warlock as one of your classes.
Ability Score Minimum. You must have an Intelligence score of at least 13 to take a level in this class, or to take a level in another class if you are already a warlock.
Proficiencies Gained. If warlock isn't your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level in warlock: light armor, simple weapons.
Spellcasting. If you have both the Spellcasting class feature and the Pact Magic class feature from the warlock class, you can use the spell slots you gain from the Pact Magic feature to cast spells you know or have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting class feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting class feature to cast warlock spells you know.
Class Features
Hit Points
- 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: Intelligence, Wisdom
- Skills: Choose two from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Insight, 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: the Great Old One or the Hex Master, which is detailed at the end of the class description, or one from another source. Your choice grants you features at 1st level and again at 6th, 10th, and 14th level.
Patron Expanded Spells
Each patron grants you extra spells that reflect your patron's power that you gain at the warlock levels noted in the Expanded Spells description. Once you gain an expanded spell, you always know it, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you know. Expanded spells cannot be replaced when you gain a level in this class.
If you have an expanded 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 Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the warlock spell list.
Cantrips
You know two 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 Pact Magic table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your warlock spells of 1st through 5th 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 short or long rest.
For example, when you are 5th level, you have two 3rd-level spell slots and two 2nd-level spell slots. To cast the 1st-level spell hellish rebuke, 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, when 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.
Pact Magic Slots
| Warlock Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 4th | 2 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 5th | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| 6th | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| 7th | — | — | 2 | 2 | — |
| 8th | — | — | 2 | 2 | — |
| 9th | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 10th | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 11th | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 12th | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 13th | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 14th | — | — | — | 3 | 2 |
| 15th | — | — | — | 3 | 2 |
| 16th | — | — | — | 3 | 2 |
| 17th | — | — | — | 3 | 2 |
| 18th | — | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| 19th | — | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| 20th | — | — | — | 3 | 3 |
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your warlock spells, so you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a warlock spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC
Spell attack modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use an arcane focus (see the Adventuring Gear section) as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.
Eldritch Blast
At 1st level, your patron gifts you with the ability to wield raw eldritch power. As an action, you can use a free hand to fire a beam of eldritch energy at a target within 120 feet of you in place of making a normal attack. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. Alternatively, you can shape the eldritch energy into a blade and make a melee spell attack against a target within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 plus your Intelligence modifier force damage.
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 at the end of the class description. 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.
If an eldritch invocation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class.
Pact Boon
At 3rd level, your otherworldly patron bestows a gift upon you for your loyal service. You gain one of the following features of your choice.
Pact of the Blade
You can use your action to create a pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this melee weapon takes each time you create it (see the Weapons section for weapon options). You are proficient with it while you wield it, and you use Intelligence in place of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for attack and damage rolls with the weapon. This weapon deals force damage rather than its normal damage type. When you make a spell attack with your Eldritch Blast feature, you can replace it with an attack with your pact weapon. If you benefit from a feature that improves your Eldritch Blast's melee spell attack, it benefits your pact weapon as well.
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 also transform one 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 or long 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.
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.
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. In combat, your familiar acts on your turn.
When you summon your familiar, you can grant them either a flying speed or a swimming speed (your choice) of 40 feet. When the familiar takes damage, you can use your reaction to grant it resistance against that damage.
Additionally, you can use your bonus action to command your familiar to make one attack, and its attacks are considered magical for the purposes of overcoming immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks. If your familiar forces a creature to make a saving throw, it uses your spell save DC.
Pact of the Tome
Your patron gives you a grimoire called a Book of Shadows. When you gain this feature, choose three cantrips from any class's spell list (the three needn't be from the same list). While the book is on your person, you can cast those cantrips at will. They don't count against your number of cantrips known. If they don't appear on the warlock spell list, they are nonetheless warlock spells for you.
Additionally, choose two 1st- or 2nd-level spells that have the ritual tag from any class' spell list (the two needn't be from the same list). The spells are in the book when you receive it 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 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 imprint the spell onto your book. For each level of the spell, the transcription process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp, which takes the form of an offering you give to your patron by placing it in the book.
If you lose your Book of Shadows, 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 book. The book turns to ash when you die. The new book contains all of the same information as the old book.
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.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Empowered Blast
At 5th level, when use your action to attack with your Eldritch Blast on your turn, you can attack twice instead of once; the attacks needn't be against the same target.
The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class and to four when you reach 17th level in this class.
Mystic Arcanum
Starting at 11th level, your patron bestows upon you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one 6th-level spell from the warlock spell list to learn. You also gain a 6th level spell slot. This spell slot functions identically to your Pact Magic spell slots, however they are only recovered when you complete a long rest, and are unaffected by the Pact Magic Slots table.
At higher levels, you gain more warlock spells and slots of your choice: one 7th-level spell and slot at 13th level, one 8th-level spell and slot at 15th level, and one 9th-level spell and slot at 17th level.
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.
Invocations
Listed below are the eldritch invocations available to a warlock. If an invocation has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. A level prerequisite refers to your warlock level. You can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. If you learn a spell from an invocation, it is considered a warlock sepll for you.
Armor of Shadows
While you aren't wearing any armor, your AC becomes 10 + your Dexterity Modifier + your Intelligence modifier.
Ascendant Step
Prerequisite: 9th level
You can freely leviate as if you were under the levitate spell.
Aspect of the Moon
Prerequisite: Pact of the Tome
You no longer need to sleep and can't be forced to sleep by any means. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours doing light activity, such as reading your Book of Shadows and keeping watch.
Beast Speech
You can communicate with animals as if you were under the speak with animals spell.
Beguiling Influence
When you make a Charisma check to interact socially with another creature, you can use your Intelligence modifier instead. Features that affect Charisma checks (such as the cloak of flies invocation) still affect your roll.
Chains of Carceri
Prerequisite: 15th level, Pact of the chain feature
You can cast hold monster at will — targeting a celestial, fiend, or elemental — without expending a spell slot or material components. You must finish a long rest before you can use this invocation on the same creature again.
Cloak of Flies
Prerequisite: 5th level
As a bonus action, you can surround yourself with a 5-foot radius magical aura that looks like buzzing flies. It lasts until you're incapacitated or you dismiss it as a bonus action.
The aura grants you advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks but disadvantage on all other Charisma checks. Any other creature that starts its turn in the aura takes poison damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 damage).
Once you use this invocation, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Destructive Blast
Prerequisite: 7th level
When you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can forgo adding your Intelligence modifier to the attack roll. If you hit, you deal additional damage equal to twice your Intelligence modifier.
Devil's Sight
You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
Eldritch Mind
You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell.
Eldritch Sight
You can always detect the presence of magic around you, as if you were under the detect magic spell.
Eldritch Smite
Prerequisite: 5th level, Pact of the Blade feature
Once per turn when you hit a target with your pact weapon, you can expend a warlock spell slot to deal an extra 1d8 force damage to the target, plus another 1d8 per level of the spell slot, to a maximum of 5d8. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, you can also knock it prone.
Eldritch Spear
Your Eldritch Blast ranged spell attacks now have a range of 300 feet, and your Eldritch Blast melee spell attacks now have a range of 10 feet.
Eldritch Surge
When you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can focus your fire on a single creature. Rather than rolling to hit, you can force that creature to make a single Dexterity saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failure, they are struck by all beams of your Eldritch Blast simultaneously. They take one instance of damage, and the damage benefits from any feature that modifies your Eldritch Blast. A feature that requires you to successfully hit them triggers if they fail their saving throw. If they succeed, they take half as much damage instead, and suffer no effects that require you to hit them.
Eyes of the Rune Keeper
You can read all writing.
Far Scribe
Prerequisite: 5th-level warlock, Pact of the Tome feature
A new page appears in your Book of Shadows. With your permission, a creature can use its action to write its name on that page, which can contain a number of names equal to your proficiency bonus.
You can cast the sending spell, targeting a creature whose name is on the page, without using a spell slot and without using any components. To do so, you must write the message on the page. The target hears the message in their mind, and if the target replies, their message appears on the page, rather than in your mind. The writing disappears after 1 minute.
As an action, you can magically erase a name on the page by touching it.
Fiendish Vigor
You learn false life and can cast it at will as a 1st-level spell, without expending a spell slot or using any components.
Gaze of two Minds
You can use your action to touch a willing humanoid and perceive through its senses until the end of your next turn. As long as the creature is on the same plane of existence as you, you can use your action on subsequent turns to maintain this connection, extending the duration until the end of your next turn. While perceiving through the other creature's senses, you benefit from any special senses possessed by that creature, and you are blinded and deafened to your own surroundings.
Ghostly Gaze
Prerequisite: 7th level
As an action, you gain the ability to see through solid objects to a range of 30 feet. Within that range, you have darkvision if you don't already have it. This special sight lasts for 1 minute. During that time, you perceive objects as ghostly, transparent images.
Once you use this invocation, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Gift of the Depths
Prerequisite: 5th level
You can breathe underwater, and you gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
You also learn water breathing and can cast it once without expending a spell slot. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Gift of the Ever-Living Ones
Prerequisite: Pact of the Chain feature
Whenever you regain hit points while your familiar is within 100 feet of you, treat any dice rolled to determine the hit points you regain as having rolled their maximum value for you.
Gift of the Protectors
Prerequisite: 9th-level warlock, Pact of the Tome feature
A new page appears in your Book of Shadows. With your permission, a creature can use its action to write its name on that page, which can contain a number of names equal to your proficiency bonus.
When any creature whose name is on the page is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, the creature magically drops to 1 hit point instead. Once this magic is triggered, no creature can benefit from it until you finish a long rest.
As an action, you can magically erase a name on the page by touching it.
Grasp of Hadar
Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with your Eldritch Blast, you can move that creature in a straight line up to 10 feet closer to you.
Ghostly Armor
Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade
You can perform a special ritual to transform a suit of armor or shield into pact armor while you maintain contact with it. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short or long rest. You can then dismiss the armor or shield, shunting it into the same extradimensional space that holds your pact weapon. Thereafter, you can use an action to instantly don the armor or shield. You are proficient in this armor or shield while you wear or wield it. You can't affect an artifact or sentient item in this way. The armor or shield ceases being your pact armor if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different suit of armor or shield, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The armor or shield appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.
Improved Pact Weapon
Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature
You can use any weapon you summon with your Pact of the Blade feature as a spellcasting focus for your warlock spells.
In addition, the weapon gains a +1 bonus to its attack and damage rolls, unless it is a weapon that already has a bonus to those rolls.
Finally, the weapon you conjure can be a ranged weapon.
Lance of Lethargy
Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with your Eldritch Blast, you can reduce that creature's speed by 10 feet until the end of your next turn.
Lifedrinker
Prerequisite: 12th level, Pact of the Blade feature
Once per turn when you hit a creature with your pact weapon, the creature takes extra necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1) and you gain temporary hit points equal to the extra necrotic damage dealt.
Maddening Hex
Prerequisite: 5th level, a spell or a warlock feature that curses
As a bonus action, you cause a psychic disturbance around the target cursed by a warlock feature or spell of yours, such as Hex Master's Curse or hex. When you do so, you deal psychic damage to the cursed target and each creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of it. The psychic damage equals your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 damage). To use this invocation, you must know the cursed target's location, and it must be within 30 feet of you.
Mask of Many Faces
You learn disguise self and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot.
Master of Myriad Forms
Prerequisite: 15th level
You learn alter self and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot or requiring any components.
Misty Visions
You learn silent image and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.
One with Shadows
Prerequisite: 5th level
When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible until you move or take an action or a reaction.
Otherworldly Leap
Prerequisite: 9th level
Your jump distance is tripled.
Relentless Hex
Prerequisite: 7th level, a spell or a warlock feature that curses
Your curse creates a temporary bond between you and your target. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see within 5 feet of the target cursed by a warlock feature or spell of yours, such as Hex Master's Curse or hex. To teleport in this way, you must be able to see the cursed target.
Repelling Blast
When you hit a creature with your Eldritch Blast, you can push the creature up to 10 feet away from you in a straight line.
Seeking Blast
Prerequisite: 5th level
Once per turn, when you miss an attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can redirect that beam to another target within 30 feet of the original target. You must roll to hit against that target as normal.
Shroud of Shadow
Prerequisite: 15th level
You learn invisibility and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot or requiring any components.
Tomb of Levistus
Prerequisite: 5th level
As a reaction when you take damage, you can entomb yourself in ice, which melts away at the end of your next turn. You gain 10 temporary hit points per warlock level, which take as much of the triggering damage as possible. Immediately after you take the damage, you gain vulnerability to fire damage, your speed is reduced to 0, and you are incapacitated. These effects, including any remaining temporary hit points, all end when the ice melts.
Once you use this invocation, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Undying Servitude
Prerequisite: 5th-level warlock
You can cast animate dead without using a spell slot. Once you do so, you can't cast it in this way again until you finish a long rest.
Visions of Distant Realms
Prerequisite: 15th level
You learn arcane eye and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot.
Voice of the Chain Master
Prerequisite: Pact of the Chain feature
You can communicate telepathically with your familiar and perceive through your familiar's senses as long as you are on the same plane of existence. Additionally, while perceiving through your familiar's senses, you can also speak through your familiar in your own voice, even if your familiar is normally incapable of speech.
Whispers of the Grave
Prerequisite: 9th level
You learn speak with dead and can cast it at will, without expending a spell slot or requiring any components.
Witch Sight
Prerequisite: 15th level
You can see the true form of any shapechanger or creature concealed by illusion or transmutation magic while the creature is within 30 feet of you and within line of sight.
Otherworldly Patrons
The beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are mighty inhabitants of other planes of existence—not gods, but almost godlike in their power. Various patrons give their warlocks access to different powers and invocations, and expect significant favors in return.
Some patrons collect warlocks, doling out mystic knowledge relatively freely or boasting of their ability to bind mortals to their will. Other patrons bestow their power only grudgingly, and might make a pact with only one warlock. Warlocks who serve the same patron might view each other as allies, siblings, or rivals.
The Great Old One
Your patron is a mysterious entity whose nature is utterly foreign to the fabric of reality. It might come from the Far Realm, the space beyond reality, or it could be one of the elder gods known only in legends. Its motives are incomprehensible to mortals, and its knowledge so immense and ancient that even the greatest libraries pale in comparison to the vast secrets it holds. The Great Old One might be unaware of your existence or entirely indifferent to you, but the secrets you have learned allow you to draw your magic from it.
Entities of this type include Ghaunadar, called That Which Lurks; Tharizdun, the Chained God; Dendar, the Night Serpent; Zargon, the Returner; Great Cthulhu; and other unfathomable beings.
Great Old One Expanded Spell List
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | dissonant whispers, hideous laughter |
| 3rd | detect thoughts, mind whip |
| 5th | clairvoyance, nondetection |
| 7th | dominate beast, phantasmal killer |
| 9th | modify memory, telekinesis |
Alien Blast
Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do psychic damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, if that attack hits a creature, they subtract a d4 from the next saving throw they make before the start of your next turn.
Awakened Mind
Also at 1st level, your alien knowledge gives you the ability to touch the minds of other creatures. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. While communicating telepathically, you can alter your voice to sound however you wish. If you allow them to, they can respond to you (no action necessary). You don't need to share a language with the creature for it to understand your telepathic utterances, but the creature must be able to understand at least one language.
Visions of Beyond
At 6th level, you can flood the minds of those who assault you with terrifying, incomprehensible images from your patron's realm. When a creature within 60 feet damages you, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make an Intelligence saving throw against your warlock spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature takes psychic damage equal to 1d10 + half your warlock level and is frightened for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't frightened.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Unfathomable Revelations
At 10th level, the outer layers of your mind become alien in scope - becoming indecipherable to those who would plunder it, while revealing the true nature of the world around you. You are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions, read your thoughts, or determine you are lying, unless you allow it.
Additionally, you can use your action to open your mind to the truth of the world. For 10 minutes, you gain truesight out to 60 feet. Once you do so, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Create Thrall
At 14th level, you gain the ability to infect a humanoid's mind with the alien magic of your patron. You can use your action to touch an incapacitated humanoid. That creature is then charmed by you until a remove curse spell of 5th level or higher is cast on it, the charmed condition is removed from it, or you use this feature again.
You can communicate telepathically with the charmed creature as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. The charmed creature regards you as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the creature isn't under your control, it takes your requests or actions in the most favorable way it can.
The Hex Master
Your patron is a master of spellbinding. These patrons are most often associated with the shadowfell, such as the mysterious and inscrutable Raven Queen, but it could be any number of powerful creatures who use magic to hinder and bind their foes, such as a powerful hag coven, an ancient lich, or a scheming devil.
Hex Master Expanded Spell List
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | command, bane |
| 3rd | blindness/deafness, enlarge/reduce |
| 5th | bestow curse, slow |
| 7th | confusion, polymorph |
| 9th | dominate person, geas |
Branding Blast
Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do necrotic damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, if that attack hits a creature, you brand them with a curse. The cursed creature has disadvantage on all ability checks it makes before the start of your next turn.
Hex Master's Curse
Starting at 1st level, you gain the ability to place a baleful curse on someone. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The target is cursed for 1 minute. The curse ends early if the target dies, you die, or you are incapacitated. Until the curse ends, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain a bonus to damage rolls against the cursed target. The bonus equals your proficiency bonus.
- Any attack roll you make against the cursed target is a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
- If the cursed target dies, you regain hit points equal to your warlock level + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 hit point).
You can't use this feature again until you finish a short or long rest.
Bound to Service
Starting at 6th level, you can curse the soul of a person you slay, temporarily binding it to your service. When you slay a creature capable of producing a ghost (typically a humanoid), you can cause its spirit to rise from its corpse as a specter, the statistics for which are in the Monster Manual. When the specter appears, it gains temporary hit points equal to half your warlock level. Roll initiative for the specter, which has its own turns. It obeys your verbal commands, and it gains a bonus to its attack rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).
The specter remains in your service until the end of your next long rest, at which point it vanishes to the afterlife.
Once you bind a specter with this feature, you can't use the feature again until you finish a long rest.
Halting Hex
At 10th level, your hexes grow more powerful. If a target cursed by you hits you with an attack roll, you can use your reaction to roll a d6. On a 4 or higher, the attack instead misses you, regardless of its roll.
Master of Hexes
Starting at 14th level, you can spread your Hex Master's Curse from a slain creature to another creature. When the creature cursed by your Hex Master's Curse dies, you can apply the curse to a different creature you can see within 30 feet of you, provided you aren't incapacitated. When you apply the curse in this way, you don't regain hit points from the death of the previously cursed creature.
DM's Note: Curses
For the purposes of the Hex Master's features, any spell that forces a saving throw, belongs to the enchantment, illusion, or transmutation schools, imposes a penalty or negative effect on the target, and doesn't deal significant damage for its level can be considered a curse. All of the Hex Master's expanded spells (except command) are good examples of curses, even though not all of them can be removed with remove curse or similar magic.
Warlock Compatibility
This warlock was designed to fit with other content with as little converting necessary as possible. To use other content with this warlock, use the following guidelines.
Otherworldly Patrons
Any Otherworldly Patron (including the official version of the Great Old One) that is compatible with the official warlock will work with this warlock. Listed below are optional features for each officially published subclass. Each has a way to improve their Eldritch Blast feature (similiar to the Alien Blast) feature, and several of the older classes have spells updated from official content up to Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
You may use the Branding Blast and the Withering Blast features for the Hexblade and Undying patron, respectively.
The Archfey
Archfey Expanded Spell List
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | faerie fire, sleep |
| 3rd | phantasmal killer, zone of truth |
| 5th | blink, plant growth |
| 7th | dominate beast, greater invisibility |
| 9th | geas, seeming |
Phantasmal Blast. Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do psychic damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, if that attack hits a creature, they must spend 2 feet of movement for each foot of movement they move when they either approach or move away from you (your choice). Creatures immune to the charmed or frightened conditions respectively are immune to this effect.
The Celestial
Celestial Expanded Spell List
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | cure wounds, guiding bolt |
| 3rd | flaming sphere, lesser restoration |
| 5th | beacon of hope, revivify |
| 7th | guardian of faith, wall of fire |
| 9th | dawn, greater restoration |
Divine Blast. Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do radiant damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, if that attack hits a creature, they become visible if they were invisible and shed dim light in a 5-foot radius. Until the start of your next turn, they cannot become invisible, and other creatures can see them through heavy obscurement or magical darkness.
The Fathomless
Crushing Blast. Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do cold damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, if that attack hits a creature, they become crushed by the weight of an ocean. They must drop whatever they're carrying, or choose to instead fall prone instead.
Grasping Tentacles. If you use the revised spell list in this document, you can allow Fathomless Warlocks to learn a different spell if they already know black tentacles when they receive this feature.
The Fiend
Fiend Expanded Spell List
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | burning hands, command |
| 3rd | blindness/deafness, scorching ray |
| 5th | fireball, stinking cloud |
| 7th | fire shield, wall of fire |
| 9th | hallow, immolation |
Burning Blast. Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do fire damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, if that attack hits a creature, they suffer disadvantage on their next attack roll they make before the start of your next turn, as the flames char them.
The Genie
Wishful Blast. Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do bludgeoning (dao only), thunder (djinni only), fire (efreeti only), or cold (marid only) damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, that attack critically hits on a 19 or 20 on the d20.
The Undead
Withering Blast. Starting at 1st level, when you attack with your Eldritch Blast, you can choose to do necrotic damage instead of force damage. The first time you do so on a turn, if that attack hits a creature, they cannot regain hit points until the start of your next turn.
Creating Your Own
When designing an Eldritch Blast improvement for a warlock subclass, you can use the following guidelines:
- The feature should allow the character to attack using a thematic damage type.
- The feature should provide a secondary effect analogous to those found on cantrips.
- The rider effect should require the character to hit, and only activate once per turn.
Eldritch Invocations
Eldritch Invocations from the Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything are already listed in the Eldritch Invocations section. Invocations from those books not listed are not intended to be used with this warlock.
The benefits of Thirsting Blade, Book of Ancient Secrets, and Investment of the Chain Master are already integrated into the pact boons. If you use a feature that has one of those invocations as a prerequisite, consider that prerequisite met by any warlock with the corresponding pact boon. Invocations from other sources are compatible with this warlock.
Spell List Changes
Eldritch Blast is removed removed entirely. The following spells are added to the warlock list.
Cantrips (0 Level)
- dancing lights
- encode thoughts ggr
- message
3rd Level
- nondetection
- speak with dead
4th Level
- arcane eye
- black tentacles
- compulsion
- freedom of movement
5th Level
- conjure elemental
- legend lore
- passwall
6th Level
- disintegrate
7th Level
- sequester
8th Level
- antipathy/sympathy
- maze
- mind blank
- telepathy
9th Level
- time stop
Credits
Art: Tamiyo, the Moon Sage by Luis Lasahido
Art: Pseudodragon by Unknown (Wizards of the Coast)
Art: Barrow Witches by Alex Brock
Subclass: Great Old One Tweaks by /u/VampireBagel_ (edits by me)
Design Notes
According to WotC, the adventuring day (and therefore the game) is balanced around the idea of having 6-8 encounters in a day, during which the party takes two short rests. However, many if not most people don't play that way. This warlock is balanced around taking a single short rest in a day, and having fewer, harder encounters. If your table regularly plays a 6-8 encounter adventure day, and you're worried about this version of the warlock having an overabundance of spells, you can use the default spell progression found in the PHB, and use the following feature in addition to that.
Eldritch Aid
4th level Warlock feature
Once per short or long rest, you can beseech your patron for aid and cast one warlock spell you know. The spell you cast must be of a spell level less than your Pact Magic slot level, as shown on the Warlock class table.