Introduction
The Tales of the Valiant Warlock is a Charisma-based Wyrd caster for players who want a dependable Eldritch Blast turn and meaningful build choices around it. Choose a Pact Boon at 1st level, then use invocations and a patron to decide whether that turn emphasizes weapon combat, a familiar, ritual utility, control, or social pressure. Start with the Tales of the Valiant Class Guides if you are still comparing classes.
Tales of the Valiant gives the class its Pact Boon at 1st level and grows Eldritch Invocations to 10 by late levels. Those decisions make the pact identity matter immediately and leave room to adjust a build as a campaign changes.
For a full ranked breakdown of invocation picks, pact-specific loadouts, and build milestones, see the Eldritch Invocations Guide.
The class still balances Pact Magic against limited Wyrd slots. Build around CHA, plan for short rests, and make each invocation serve the pact and campaign you actually expect to play.
Player's Guide 2 directly expands the chassis. Archon (Player's Guide 2) adds law-and-order control and defensive reactions, Elemental Regent (Player's Guide 2) adds elemental riders to Eldritch Blast, and Fey Noble (Player's Guide 2) supports charm, fear, and illusion play. It also adds invocations, Warlock boons, and the Valedictorian (Player's Guide 2) talent for an additional qualifying invocation.
The Old Margreve expands the class in the direction Warlocks want most: stranger patrons with concrete play patterns. Reaper (The Old Margreve) is the melee death-pact bruiser, Elder Wood (The Old Margreve) is a forest patron that mixes plant magic, Pact Boon upgrades, healing from nearby spellcasting, and late-game spell resistance, and Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) is a fear-and-shadow hunter that gives Warlocks bow support, tracking tools, teleportation in darkness, and fear control.
Book of Blades does not appear to add new Warlock invocations or patrons in the local material. Its Warlock value is mostly build support: Battle Tactician (Book of Blades) for CHA-based martial-access Warlocks, War Dancer (Book of Blades) for mobile Blade builds, Weapon Option Specialist (Book of Blades) if your table uses weapon options, and Privileged (Book of Blades) for social Warlocks.
Labyrinth Worldbook is a direct patron update. Celestial (Labyrinth Worldbook) gives Warlocks a real support chassis: Divine-list access, hit-dice healing, radiant melee support, wings, and a late radiant burst. Void Saint (Labyrinth Worldbook) is stranger and more campaign-sensitive: it rewards void magic, punishes failed saves with teleport positioning, frightens through attacks and Eldritch Blast, and becomes much better when void taint and void hazards are actually present.
Rating legend
Ratings use the following scale:
- ● Fantastic. Take this. No caveats.
- ● Good. Solid pick in most builds.
- ● Situational. Good under specific conditions; skip otherwise.
- ● Bad. Avoid unless forced.
Ratings assume a standard adventuring day of 2–3 combat encounters with one or two short rests. Your GM's table may vary these assumptions significantly.
Class Features
Hit Dice: d8
● Not amazing, but better than Wizard and Sorcerer. Combined with light/medium armor and shields, the Warlock has actual survivability if you invest in it. Blade Warlock builds will care about this; backline blasters less so.
Armor Proficiency: Light, Medium, Shields
● Medium armor and shields together can get you to AC 18–19 without magic items, which is competitive. Blade Warlocks should use this. Blasters who take Armor of Shadows (invocation) can skip it, but that requires no armor and no shield—a real tradeoff.
Saves: WIS, CHA
● CHA saves are relatively rare but meaningful (compulsion, fear). WIS saves are everywhere (Hold Person, Dominate, Frightened). This is a strong save pairing for a caster—you're resistant to the effects most likely to shut you down entirely.
Eldritch Blast (1st Level)
● The engine of the class. Ranged spell attack, 1d10 force damage, scaling to 2 beams at 5th, 3 at 9th, 4 at 14th. Force damage is almost never resisted. Scales with invocations like Agonizing Blast (add CHA to damage) and Repelling Blast (push per beam). Remember: this is not a spell - it does not spend a spell slot and it is improved by invocation text rather than normal spellcasting upgrades.
Pact Boon (1st Level)
● Arriving at 1st level in ToV is a meaningful upgrade. You are no longer a blandly normal caster for two levels. Your pact identity shapes your playstyle from session zero.
Pact of the Blade ● Creates a melee weapon as an action; uses CHA for attack AND damage (ToV explicit). Proficient with it, counts as magical. Bond an existing weapon via 1-hour ritual. The weapon vanishes if 5+ ft away for 1 minute. This is a complete melee build enabler. Enhanced Boon gives you two attacks with it at 6th level. This is the only path that makes melee Warlock competitive.
Pact of the Chain ● Enhanced find familiar with no material components. Special forms include imp, pseudodragon, quasit, or blink dog. Telepathic comms anywhere on the same plane, no range restriction (ToV upgrade). Familiar can attack and acts right after you. The enhanced telepathy range is excellent for scouting and RP. Familiar combat contribution is modest, but the utility is significant. For form rankings and Chain-specific tactics, see the Best Familiars Guide. For beast and plant familiar options from Old Margreve sources (Elder Wood Chain), use the Monster Vault Animal Allies and Summons Guide.
Pact of the Tome ● Book of Shadows grants 3 cantrips from any spell list. The book also serves as a spellcasting focus. The cantrips from any list is the real power here—access to Shillelagh, Sacred Flame, Guidance, or whatever utility your build needs. Enhanced Boon adds ritual casting. Combined with the Rite of the Source Master Heroic Boon, this becomes a remarkably broad-utility build.
Eldritch Invocations (2nd Level)
● The customization backbone of the Warlock. You get 2 at 2nd level and scale to 10 total by late levels. You can swap one out each level-up. This keeps the class from being static. Top invocation picks:
For every invocation rating, pact-specific recommendation, and level-by-level loadout, use the Eldritch Invocations Guide.
Agonizing Blast ● — Add CHA to every beam. Mandatory. Take it first.
Armor of Shadows ● — AC 13 + CHA while unarmored and unshielded. Better than leather armor early; gets outpaced by medium armor + shield. Skip if you're using medium armor.
Repelling Blast ● — Push creatures 10 ft per beam on a hit. Four beams = 40 ft of push at high levels. Excellent for keeping melee away or setting up environmental damage.
Beyond Sight ● — See in magical darkness to 120 ft. Strong if your party combo with darkness effects.
Lifedrinker ● (Prereq: 11th level) — CHA necrotic damage on every weapon hit. Blade Warlock's best late-game invocation.
Mystic Arcanum ● (Prereq: 11th level) — Free high-circle Wyrd spell 1/long rest. Take it multiple times for different spells. This is how Warlocks get access to 6th–9th circle effects.
Devil's Tongue (Player's Guide 2) ● — Choose Deception or Persuasion, gain proficiency and advantage, and creatures cannot determine if you speak a lie. This is a strong choice for a social Warlock in an intrigue campaign; a dungeon-focused campaign is less likely to reward it.
Psychic Shroud (Player's Guide 2) ● (Prereq: 5th level) — Bonus-action mental privacy aura that blocks thought-reading and damages hostile creatures that start beside you. Best on Blade, Fey Noble, Void Saint, and social infiltrator Warlocks who expect enemies to get close.
Night Vigil (Player's Guide 2) ● — No sleep, immunity to magical sleep, and a 4-hour inactive long rest where you can still see and hear. Great for watch duty, ambush-heavy campaigns, and anyone whose patron considers bedtime a character flaw.
Primal Voice (Player's Guide 2) ● — Speak with Beasts and Animal-tag creatures, though literal meanings only. Chain, Elder Wood, wilderness, and Fey Noble builds get the most mileage; dungeon-only campaigns can skip it.
Deep Dweller (Player's Guide 2) ● — Swim speed, underwater breathing, underwater darkvision, and bonus-action Dash while submerged. Excellent in aquatic campaigns and mostly decorative in a desert. Check the campaign pitch before growing gills for a single flooded hallway.
Eldritch Sight ● — Unlimited detect magic without slots. Useful in high-magic exploration campaigns; largely wasted in combat-heavy tables.
Gaze of Two Minds ● — Touch a willing Humanoid and perceive through their senses. Strong roleplay tool; minimal combat value.
Second Boon ● (Prereq: 5th level) — Take a second Pact Boon. The value depends heavily on the combination—Blade + Tome is flexible; Blade + Chain is expensive for modest gain.
Chains of Carceri ● (Prereq: 15th level) — Cast greater hold 1/long rest. Good spell, but you're paying an invocation slot at 15th level for one free cast. Mystic Arcanum is usually better.
Entangling Blast (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: Elder Wood Patron) — When Eldritch Blast hits, one target can be grappled by roots and vines until the end of its next turn on a failed DEX save. This is a real control rider on the action you already take every fight.
Extinguishing Blast (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: Hunter in Darkness Patron) — Eldritch Blast reduces the light around a target, turning bright light to dim light or dim light to darkness. This enables Hunter in Darkness positioning and turns your default attack into setup.
Nature's Armor (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: Elder Wood Patron) — Action for 1 hour of thorn armor: AC 14 + CHA and melee attackers take piercing damage equal to half your warlock level. This is excellent for Blade Warlocks who are not relying on half plate, and still useful as a pre-fight defensive mode.
Lurker in Gloom (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: 7th level, Hunter in Darkness Patron) — Reaction to halve damage while in dim light or darkness, once per short or long rest. Simple, efficient, and exactly what a shadow-hunting Warlock wants when a monster finally reaches them.
Shadow Arrow (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: 12th level, Pact of the Blade, Hunter in Darkness Patron) — When your pact-weapon arrow hits, fire a second shadow arrow as a bonus action that can repeat the first arrow's damage as necrotic. This is the payoff for bow-based Blade Warlocks.
Speaker for the Trees (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: 9th level, Elder Wood Patron) — At-will speak with plants. Great in forest campaigns, too narrow elsewhere.
Patient Hunter (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: Pact of the Tome, Hunter in Darkness Patron) — Use your tome to identify tracks, then gain advantage on Perception and Survival checks to find and track that creature for 24 hours. Strong in pursuit-heavy play, but it asks for both Tome and a campaign that cares about tracking.
Hunting Hound (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: Pact of the Chain, Hunter in Darkness Patron) — Adds death dog or dire wolf familiar forms, with a 9th-level winter wolf transformation. Fun and thematic, but Chain Warlocks need the campaign to reward familiar scouting and battlefield pets.
Green Thumb (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: 5th level, Elder Wood Patron) — Cast plant growth once per long rest without a slot or components. Strong in wilderness control and downtime; mediocre in dungeon-heavy play.
Knowledge of the Wood (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: 15th level, Elder Wood Patron) — At-will scrying on creatures in the same forest while you remain near forest water. Extremely flavorful, extremely campaign-bound.
Touch of the Forest (The Old Margreve) ● (Prereq: 13th level, Elder Wood Patron) — Cast awaken once per long rest without a slot or components. Excellent campaign utility if your table makes awakened allies and forest politics matter; not a combat pick.
Spellcasting (2nd Level)
● Wyrd spell list, CHA-based. 2 cantrips at 2nd level. Your slots are limited but scale to 5th circle. They recover on long rest only—Pact Magic (short rest) is your real sustain engine. The narrow spell list is a genuine constraint; lean into your Pact Spells and invocations.
Warlock Subclass (3rd Level)
● Arrives at 3rd, granting Pact Spells and your first subclass feature. See Subclasses below.
Improvement (4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 18th)
● Standard ASI framework—+2 to one stat, +1 to two stats, or +1 stat + a Magic talent. Note the ToV schedule: improvements at 18th, not 19th (unlike some classes). Each improvement comes with the option to pick from the Magic Talents list, which is useful throughout the game.
Enhanced Boon (6th Level)
● Upgrades your Pact Boon. All three upgrades are strong:
- Blade: Two attacks with your pact weapon when you take the Attack action. ● Essential for Blade builds. This is your Multiattack.
- Chain: Familiar gets temp HP equal to PB + CHA on short/long rest, plus you have advantage on attacks when your familiar is within 5 ft of the target. ● Meaningful survivability for your familiar and reliable advantage for you.
- Tome: Inscribe two 1st/2nd circle rituals from the Wyrd ritual list into your Book. ● Ritual access is nice but narrow (Wyrd list only), weaker than the other two.
Pact Magic (scales to 13th, 17th)
● The core short-rest resource. Use Pact Magic to cast subclass Pact Spells without burning Wyrd slots. Scales from 2 uses/short rest at 2nd level to 3 at 13th and 4 at 17th. Always cast after short rests have recharged this. Never burn a Wyrd slot on a Pact Spell when Pact Magic is available.
Patron's Favor (18th Level)
● Spend a Pact Magic use to cast any spell you know of 5th circle or lower from any spell list. Not just Wyrd. This is an enormous late-game upgrade—you can reach into Divine or Primordial lists for situational tools. Combined with Echoes of Knowledge from Heroic Boon, your Pact Spells list can cover a remarkable range.
Heroic Boon
Echoes of Knowledge ● Learn one 1st-circle and one 2nd-circle spell from any spell list. Both become Pact Spells (castable via Pact Magic without using Wyrd slots). The flexibility is real - use it to patch a defensive reaction, emergency mobility option, support spell, or utility effect your pact list lacks. Excellent for Tome Warlocks who want breadth.
Echoes of Power ● When you roll a 10 on an Eldritch Blast damage die, roll it again and add the result. This is a significant expected damage increase on a class that fires multiple beams. At 14th level with four beams and Agonizing Blast, your average damage output goes up meaningfully. Blade Warlocks who still use Eldritch Blast (everyone) should consider this seriously.
Echoes of the Elder (Player's Guide 2) ● Immediately learn two additional invocations you qualify for. They do not count against your normal invocations known, and you can replace them when you gain a Warlock level. This is the clean optimization pick: two invocation slots are not a ribbon, they are half a subclass wearing a trench coat.
Echoes of the Undying (Player's Guide 2) ● When an Eldritch Blast beam damages a creature below half HP, you can heal yourself for half the beam's damage or heal a creature within 5 feet of the target. This is not full support-caster healing, but it turns your normal attack into a cleanup sustain engine.
Verdict: Echoes of the Elder wins for build flexibility. Echoes of Power wins in pure damage. Echoes of Knowledge wins when your party lacks a specific utility role. Echoes of the Undying is the best pick when your table rewards attrition and wounded-target cleanup.
Epic Boon
Eldritch Master ● If you start your turn with no Pact Magic uses remaining, your patron immediately restores all uses—no action required. 1/long rest. This is a get-out-of-jail-free card that makes a desperate combat turn survivable. It won't come up every fight, but when it does, it's decisive.
Eldritch Scourge (Player's Guide 2) ● When one Eldritch Blast beam hits a target, additional beams against that same target have advantage until the start of your next turn and your beams deal maximum damage. Blast-first Warlocks should stare at this for three seconds, nod solemnly, and take it.
Patron's Revenge (Player's Guide 2) ● When you would be reduced to 0 HP or instantly slain, you can spend Warlock Hit Dice to damage the offending creature and regain HP equal to the damage dealt, once per long rest. It is dramatic, nasty, and exactly the sort of legal clause a patron hides on page seven.
Ability Scores
Primary: CHA. Your spell DC, spell attack bonus, Pact of the Blade damage, and Agonizing Blast damage all key off CHA. Max it first.
Secondary: CON. You're in medium armor at best, concentration spells require CON saves, and you have d8 HD. CON 14–16 is the right target.
DEX: If you're taking medium armor, DEX matters for the DEX cap. Cap at 14 (gives you +2 to AC with most medium armor). Blasters in light armor or using Armor of Shadows want DEX for AC and initiative.
STR, INT, WIS: Dump safely. WIS saves are CHA-primary anyway (no, wait—WIS is a save proficiency). Keep WIS moderate for skill checks; don't sink points into STR or INT.
32-Point Buy Reference
| Score | Cost |
|---|---|
| 8 | 0 |
| 9 | 1 |
| 10 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 |
| 12 | 4 |
| 13 | 5 |
| 14 | 7 |
| 15 | 9 |
Recommended Warlock spread (Blaster): STR 8, DEX 14 (7), CON 14 (7), INT 10 (2), WIS 12 (4), CHA 15 (9) = 29 points, then use remaining 3 pts to bump CHA to 16 or CON to 15. Note: CHA caps at 15 with point buy; you'll need your 4th-level Improvement to hit 16/18/20.
Recommended Warlock spread (Blade): STR 8, DEX 10 (2), CON 14 (7), INT 8 (0), WIS 12 (4), CHA 15 (9) = 22 points; redistribute remaining for CON/CHA/WIS.
Lineage & Heritage
No ToV lineage grants a CHA bonus - ability scores come entirely from your Background and Improvement picks. Evaluate lineages for survivability, darkvision, action-economy tools, and anti-control.
Human ● — Ambitious grants one free skill proficiency and one free talent at level 1. That talent can be Combat Casting from session one - before any other class feature comes online. No other lineage matches this for a concentration-dependent caster. The lack of a stat bonus is irrelevant; you're buying an entire build feature at character creation.
Syderean (Fiendish) ● — Far Sight gives Darkvision 60 ft plus the ability to see through magical darkness to 30 ft, which is exceptional for Warlocks running darkness tactics or the Beyond Sight invocation. Otherworldly Form adds necrotic resistance. Dreadful Guise (Fiendish) gives you a 10-ft fear aura as a bonus action (CHA save, DC 10 + PB) - this fires on your bonus action, costs nothing, and synergizes directly with Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve)'s advantage-on-frightened-targets loop.
Shade (Player's Guide 2) ● — Strong for darkness, void, fear, and infiltrator Warlocks. It fits Void Saint (Labyrinth Worldbook), Fey Noble (Player's Guide 2), and any Beyond Sight build that wants the character fantasy to match the mechanics.
Dhampir (Player's Guide 2) ● — Excellent for Reaper (The Old Margreve), Echoes of the Undying (Player's Guide 2), and patron bargains that need undead-adjacent durability without importing unrelated vampire baggage.
Gearforged (Player's Guide 2) ● — Best for Archon (Player's Guide 2), construct-law flavor, and Warlocks who want their pact to read like a binding contract written in brass and bad decisions.
Goblin (Player's Guide 2) ● — A good social-skirmisher package for Devil's Tongue (Player's Guide 2) Warlocks, especially if the campaign rewards stealth, fast talking, and leaving before the bill arrives.
Coterminous (Player's Guide 2) ● — The cleanest heritage overlay for Elemental Regent (Player's Guide 2). If your patron is literally an elemental sovereign, being plane-adjacent is not subtle, but it is efficient.
Feysworn (Player's Guide 2) ● — Natural fit for Fey Noble (Player's Guide 2), charm/frighten stories, and courtly pact politics. Add Devil's Tongue and suddenly every conversation has a boss fight health bar.
Covenant (Player's Guide 2) ● — Arcana plus a cantrip keyed to your chosen casting stat is tidy on Tome and knowledge-pact Warlocks. It is not flashy, but Warlocks are already flashy enough. Someone has to do the paperwork.
Elf ● — Magic Ancestry gives advantage on saves versus being charmed and immunity to magical sleep. Warlocks who lose their action to Charm or Hold-style effects are dead weight, and this shores up the gap your WIS save proficiency does not cover. Heightened Senses adds advantage on Perception and treats dim light as bright. Trance (4-hour rest) matters at tables that run short on long rest opportunities. No darkvision is the main drawback.
Smallfolk (Gnomish) ● — Grounded lets you reroll one failed save per day, which is a decisive safety valve for concentration saves or action-stealing effects. Gnomish adaptation adds Darkvision 60 ft and the minor illusion cantrip (CHA-keyed), which costs you nothing off your cantrips known. Small size lets you slip through Medium creature spaces for positioning. Halfling adaptation is a reasonable swap if charm/frightened immunity matters more than darkvision in your campaign.
Orc ● — Stalwart is the sleeper pick here: if you're subjected to a recurring save effect, you roll at the start of your turn instead of the end - meaning you can break free before losing your action on that turn. Against paralysis, stun, or Hold effects, this is a real defensive upgrade. Heightened Senses gives advantage on Perception checks and lets you see through lightly obscured conditions, treating dim light as bright.
Dwarf ● — Darkvision 60 ft, advantage on poison saves plus resistance to poison damage, and Dwarven Toughness (+1 HP at level 1 then +1 HP per level). The HP bonus is modest per level but adds up to +20 HP at level 20 on a class that only gets d8 HD. Poison resistance is narrow but the darkvision is universally useful.
Piney ● — Hybrid Humanoid grants advantage on saves against exhaustion, paralysis, petrification, and unconsciousness effects - a strong anti-control package that complements WIS save proficiency. Living Wood lets you use a reaction (PB uses per long rest) to boost your AC by PB against an incoming melee hit, which is excellent on Blade Warlocks who are regularly in melee range. Photosynthetic is campaign-dependent.
Beastkin (Sturdy) ● — Sturdy adaptation gives AC 13 + DEX while unarmored, which mimics Armor of Shadows without spending an invocation slot. The difference: Armor of Shadows uses CHA and scales with your primary stat, while Sturdy uses DEX. Unless your DEX is high (14+), Armor of Shadows or medium armor will outpace it. Best when you want to bank the invocation for something else and you're not building melee. The Avian adaptation (fly speed equal to walking speed, no medium/heavy armor) conflicts with Blade Warlock armor needs.
Alseid ● — 40-ft walking speed is the fastest base movement of any ToV lineage, which benefits mobile Blade builds. Heightened Senses, advantage against frightened, and Stealth advantage are all useful. The Quadruped trait is the hard cost: ladders, narrow spaces, and stairs become obstacles in dungeon-heavy play. Strong in open wilderness or Old Margreve campaigns; punishing in standard dungeon crawls.
Bearfolk ● — Apex Predator adds STR or CON mod to CHA checks PB times per long rest - if you take CON 14-16 as planned, this gives modest CHA check boosts in social encounters. Wild Heart grants you and nearby allies advantage on frightened saves while you're conscious, which can matter in fear-heavy encounters. Thick Coat adds cold resistance. Solid package but none of it addresses the Warlock's core vulnerabilities.
Kobold (Truescale) ● — Truescale gives AC 13 + DEX while unarmored plus one damage resistance of your choice, with Darkvision 60 ft. The resistance (fire, cold, acid, lightning, or poison) is more flexible than Beastkin Sturdy, and darkvision is a real bonus. The AC still falls behind medium armor + shield on Blade builds. Tinker's Fascination (1d8 on tool checks) is mostly a roleplay tool.
Erina ● — Darkvision 60 ft and poison resistance are fine, but the signature Erina traits (burrowing speed, Spines retaliatory damage when grappled) rarely matter for a Warlock. Small size occasionally helps with positioning. None of the core traits solve Warlock problems.
Privileged (Book of Blades) ● — Excellent for the social Warlock: extra skill coverage, a social tool proficiency, and advantage in contested Deception, Insight, or Persuasion checks. If your patron bargain lives in courts, salons, cult politics, or infernal contracts, this is one of the cleanest Book of Blades upgrades.
Martial Law (Book of Blades) ● — Good on Blade Warlocks and Old Margreve patrons such as Reaper (The Old Margreve) or Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) when they stand near allies. The armor and weapon pieces overlap with Warlock proficiencies, but Athletics, Intimidation, and bonus-action Help uses are real table utility.
Horse Lord (Book of Blades) ● — Mounted Warlock is campaign-dependent. It can work for open-field Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) bow builds or a pact-mounted fantasy, but most dungeon-heavy games will not give you enough mounted combat to justify building around it.
Syderean (Celestial) ● — Blessed Guise gives a bonus-action fly speed for 1 minute (PB times per long rest) and damage-to-radiant conversion. The fly speed is useful for a backline blaster and helps avoid melee, but the celestial theme clashes with most Warlock patrons and the radiant conversion rarely matters. Far Sight is still excellent regardless of guise choice.
Skills
Arcana ● — Identifying spells, magical items, and entities. You're the arcane specialist on most adventuring parties.
Deception ● — CHA-based. Warlocks are natural liars. The pact-bound aspect of the class leans into deception-heavy roleplay.
Intimidation ● — CHA-based. You traffic with dark powers. Intimidation comes naturally and is narratively consistent.
Investigation ● — Useful for dungeon exploration and finding hidden things. INT-based but worth having if your INT is moderate.
History ● — INT-based. Occasionally useful, but your INT is likely your dump stat.
Nature ● — INT-based. Skip unless your campaign features heavy wilderness content.
Religion ● — INT-based. Situationally useful when dealing with divine or fiendish entities.
Perception ● — Not on your list. WIS-based, so it's not your strength anyway.
Backgrounds
Outcast ● — Intimidation and Survival. The default Quick Build recommendation, and for good reason—Intimidation is CHA-based and plays into Warlock personality. The pact-forsaken narrative fits the class perfectly.
Criminal ● — Deception and Stealth. Useful for Warlocks operating in intrigue-heavy games. Deception is CHA-based.
Adherent ● — Insight and Religion. Unusual for a Warlock but works for a theologically-aware pact-maker. Religion is situationally useful when dealing with your patron's enemies or allies.
Scholar ● — Arcana and History. Pure knowledge focus. Good if your party lacks an arcane expert.
Artist ● — Performance and Persuasion. CHA-based skills, so you're not wasted here, but Performance is rarely critical.
Judicial Champion (Book of Blades) ● — A strong fit for oathbound, courtly, or executioner-flavored Warlocks, especially if your table uses its Book of Blades talent access to reach Combat Casting. The social authority theme also pairs naturally with Fiend and Reaper (The Old Margreve) patrons.
Conscript (Book of Blades) ● — Best when it opens a specific talent plan such as Focus (War) or Ranged Weapon Mastery. It is more interesting on Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) and military Blade Warlocks than on a normal backline blaster.
Grave Keeper (Book of Blades) ● — Mostly a theme pick unless you want Reaper (The Old Margreve), death-pact, or cemetery occultist flavor. Its best mechanical hook is access to Focus (Death), which is campaign- and spell-list-dependent.
Talents
Agonizing Blast — This is an invocation, not a talent. Do not confuse them.
Combat Casting ● — Low concentration checks treat poor d20 rolls as an 8, you can use a weapon or shield as a focus, and you can make cantrip opportunity attacks. Every Warlock casting concentration control spells wants this early.
Elemental Savant ● — Treat 1s as 2s on damage rolls of a chosen element and ignore resistance to that type. Force damage from Eldritch Blast is almost never resisted, so this is only useful if you're leaning into your Wyrd spell list's elemental damage options.
School Specialization ● — Useful only if your Wyrd spell picks cluster around one school. It can improve spell attack rolls or save DCs for that school, but it does not improve Eldritch Blast because Eldritch Blast is not a spell.
Mental Fortitude ● — Once per short rest, reroll a failed INT, WIS, or CHA save. The Luck rider when you start your turn charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or stunned is also relevant because Warlocks hate losing actions.
Ritualist ● — Excellent on non-Tome Warlocks and still defensible on Tome Warlocks if you want a larger ritual package. The hot take: rituals are one of the best ways to make a low-slot Warlock feel like a full utility caster between fights.
Spell Duelist ● — Good in anti-caster campaigns, but read the fine print. It supports spell-dueling and cantrip reactions; it does not turn Eldritch Blast into a spell or make every blast trick better.
Focus (Fey) ● — The enchantment/illusion package fits manipulator Warlocks, but Pact Magic's limited slots make Focus talents more selective here than on Bard or Wizard.
Valedictorian (Player's Guide 2) ● — The Warlock option grants one extra eldritch invocation you qualify for, and you can replace it when you gain a Warlock level. This is an easy recommendation for any Warlock who already has concentration protection covered. More invocations is the class fantasy with a receipt.
Plane Touched (Player's Guide 2) ● — Excellent on Celestial, Elemental Regent, Fey Noble, Fiend, Shade, and Void-flavored Warlocks when the spell package matches your patron story. Do not take it just because the word "plane" sounds mysterious; your patron already has that job.
Spell Disruptor (Player's Guide 2) ● — Best on Archon (Player's Guide 2), Tome, or anti-caster Warlocks. It is campaign tech, not a core damage upgrade.
Focus (War) (Book of Blades access) ● — Most relevant when a Book of Blades background opens it. It can work for Reaper (The Old Margreve) or Blade Warlocks who want defensive war-magic flavor, but it competes with cleaner Warlock staples.
Focus (Death) (Book of Blades access) ● — The obvious Reaper (The Old Margreve) or Grave Keeper pick. It is flavorful and occasionally strong, but you need enough death-themed spells and encounters for it to beat broader picks.
Battle Tactician (Book of Blades) ● — The best Book of Blades talent prize for Warlocks who can legally access Martial talents, including Reaper (The Old Margreve) and Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) builds. Its tactic DC uses CHA, which means Warlocks can be real battlefield commanders without splitting stats.
War Dancer (Book of Blades) ● — Strong on DEX 13 Blade Warlocks, especially Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve). Movement into an AC bump, hit-and-slip positioning, and a reaction AC boost are exactly the kind of defense a melee Warlock lacks.
Focus (War) (Book of Blades access) ● — Most relevant when a Book of Blades background opens it. It can work for Reaper (The Old Margreve) or Blade Warlocks who want defensive war-magic flavor, but it competes with cleaner Warlock staples.
Focus (Death) (Book of Blades access) ● — The obvious Reaper (The Old Margreve) or Grave Keeper pick. It is flavorful and occasionally strong, but you need enough death-themed spells and encounters for it to beat broader picks.
Battle Tactician (Book of Blades) ● — The best Book of Blades talent prize for Warlocks who can legally access Martial talents, including Reaper (The Old Margreve) and Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) builds. Its tactic DC uses CHA, which means Warlocks can be real battlefield commanders without splitting stats.
War Dancer (Book of Blades) ● — Strong on DEX 13 Blade Warlocks, especially Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve). Movement into an AC bump, hit-and-slip positioning, and a reaction AC boost are exactly the kind of defense a melee Warlock lacks.
Weapon Option Specialist (Book of Blades) ● — Good if your table uses weapon options and your Pact Weapon plan repeats the same option often. Pact bows, shadow-arrow builds, and Reaper (The Old Margreve) weapon builds can all use this, but it is dead weight at tables that ignore weapon options.
Tactical Planning (Book of Blades) ● — Better on Warlocks with History proficiency and proactive scouting. Tome Warlocks and Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) trackers can make it work; chaotic dungeon-crawls may not give you enough planning windows.
Poisoner (Book of Blades) ● — A niche Blade or assassin-pact option. Pair it with Noxious Apothecary only if your campaign actually supports poison crafting, buying, and application.
Teleporting Harrier (The Old Margreve) ● — Best on Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve) after Step into Shadow comes online at 7th level, or on any Warlock who uses misty step aggressively. The talent rewards teleporting before an attack, so it is much better for Blade, bow-Blade, and attack-roll Warlocks than for save-based controllers.
Friend of the Fey (The Old Margreve) ● — Warlocks are natural fey negotiators because CHA is already maxed. Take it in an Old Margreve or fey-heavy campaign for Sylvan, social advantage, and charm/frightened save support. Skip in normal dungeon crawls.
Relentless Hunter (The Old Margreve) ● — A good thematic pick for Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve), especially if the party lacks a Ranger. It helps with tracking and long pursuits, but it is a campaign tool rather than a Warlock power boost.
Spells
For Warlock spell rankings, Wyrd spell picks, Old Margreve additions, Labyrinth Worldbook additions, and spell hot takes, use the Best Warlock Spells guide.
Subclasses
Fiend
● The all-around dominant subclass. Strong Pact Spells, persistent temp HP, and a late-game teleportation feature make this the safer, higher-average choice.
Dark One's Blessing (3rd) ● — When an enemy drops to 0 HP within 30 ft, gain temp HP equal to PB + warlock level. At 3rd level this is 2 + 3 = 5 HP. At 17th level it's 6 + 17 = 23 HP. In combat this fires multiple times, keeping you effectively topped up. The 30-ft range means even non-kills by you within the party trigger it.
Fiend Pact Spells ● — Pact spells are a major part of Fiend's power budget. For the full Fiend pact list and spell-by-spell ratings, use the Best Warlock Spells guide.
Dark One's Own Luck (7th) ● — Add 1d10 to any ability check or save 1/short rest. The scope is "any check or save"—this is a wildcard that can turn a catastrophic failure into a success. Excellent in high-stakes moments.
Fiendish Resilience (11th) ● — Choose one damage resistance after each short or long rest. You can change it every rest, so you can react to known threats. Preparing fire resistance before the dragon fight is the textbook use case.
Hurl Through Hell (15th) ● — Hit a creature, it disappears until your next turn and takes 10d10 psychic damage (if not a Fiend). 1/long rest. 55 average psychic damage plus a full turn of being removed from combat. This is a decisive tool in high-stakes fights.
Subclass Rating: ●
Archon (Player's Guide 2)
● A law, order, and cosmic structure patron. Archon is not the biggest damage patron, but it gives Warlocks rare defensive control: cancel advantage/disadvantage, end conditions and magical effects, redirect damage, and create a late-game order bubble. If your party keeps getting folded by swingy boss turns, Archon is the patron with a clipboard and a grudge.
Archon Pact Spells (Player's Guide 2) ● — Sanctuary and shield at 3rd, gear barrage and orbital spheres at 5th, structured mind and a spell-disruption option at 9th, bladed wings and freedom of movement at 13th, then create construct and dispel evil and good at 17th. The list is defensive, tactical, and very good at making chaos fill out the proper forms.
Equalize (Player's Guide 2) (3rd) ● — Reaction to cancel all advantage and disadvantage on a roll by you or a visible creature. This is excellent against boss advantage, party disadvantage, and "sure thing" moments. The hot take: this feature will look boring until it ruins the GM's favorite crit-fishing monster.
Restore Efficiency (Player's Guide 2) (7th) ● — Bonus action plus a Wyrd slot to end a condition or magical effect on yourself or a touched creature, automatically if the spell circle is low enough. Good support, especially because Warlocks normally do not get broad condition-clearing tools.
Entropic Dispersal (Player's Guide 2) (11th) ● — Reaction to reduce damage by up to your Warlock level and shunt that amount into a nearby creature. Simple, reliable, and mean in the way only a rules-focused patron can be.
Invoke Order (Player's Guide 2) (15th) ● — Spend Pact Magic for a 15-foot sphere that restores HP, shuts off advantage/disadvantage inside, and lets random effects roll twice and choose the result. It is a defensive reset button with table-management energy.
Subclass Rating: ●
Elemental Regent (Player's Guide 2)
● The flashiest Player's Guide 2 patron and probably the most broadly exciting. You choose air, earth, fire, or water, then turn Eldritch Blast into a damage-type and rider platform. Warlock already wants to blast every turn; Elemental Regent asks, "what if the blast also did paperwork for lightning, stone, fire, or ice?"
Elemental Blast (Player's Guide 2) (3rd) ● — You can change Eldritch Blast beam damage to your patron element and apply a rider: air denies reactions, earth knocks prone or pushes, fire adds delayed fire damage, and water slows. At 11th level, every target hit by the changed damage suffers the extra effect. This is exactly what a Warlock subclass rider should be: attached to the thing you were already doing.
Elemental Regent Pact Spells (Player's Guide 2) ● — The baseline list gives elemental support at each pact-spell tier, then your chosen element adds its own spell package. Air leans lightning and mobility, earth leans defense and terrain, fire leans raw damage, and water leans mobility/control. Fire is the obvious damage pick; earth is the sleeper control pick.
Expanded Pact Boons (Player's Guide 2) (3rd) ● — Blade can deal patron-element damage with its pact weapon, Chain can choose an appropriate mephit familiar, and Tome gets Primordial plus advantage on CHA checks with Elementals. Chain Warlocks should also check the Best Familiars Guide.
Elemental Resilience (Player's Guide 2) (7th) ● — Resistance to your patron damage type plus poisoned and unconscious condition help, upgrading at 15th. It is not glamorous, but it keeps you alive while your patron insists you stand dramatically near the hazardous thing.
Elemental Movement (Player's Guide 2) (11th) ● — Air flies, earth burrows, fire runs faster and bonus-action Dashes, water swims and bonus-action Disengages. Movement modes are campaign-dependent, but when they matter, they matter a lot.
Elemental Shell (Player's Guide 2) (15th) ● — Bonus-action elemental form for 1 minute: attack deterrence against element-associated creatures, extra elemental damage, object/structure damage, physical resistance, poison immunity, squeezing through tiny gaps, and Stealth advantage in the right element. It is a whole toolkit, not a button.
Subclass Rating: ●
Fey Noble (Player's Guide 2)
● The social-control patron. Fey Noble is for Warlocks who want charm, frighten, lies, false deaths, emotional redirection, and one very theatrical "the room is now my problem" button. Pair it with Feysworn (Player's Guide 2), Devil's Tongue (Player's Guide 2), or Privileged (Book of Blades) if you want every negotiation to sweat.
Fey Noble Pact Spells (Player's Guide 2) ● — Faerie fire and hideous laughter at 3rd, hold and suggestion at 5th, blink and hypnotic pattern at 9th, confusion and conjure woodland beings at 13th, then mislead and modify memory at 17th. This is a strong social/control list with several spells Warlocks are happy to cast through Pact Magic.
Fey Presence (Player's Guide 2) (3rd) ● — Resistance to charmed and unconscious, advantage to discern illusions, and an action-based charm/frighten visage. Solid defensive identity and a useful panic button when the social scene becomes a combat scene wearing nicer shoes.
Death Ruse (Player's Guide 2) (7th) ● — Reaction when damaged to fall prone and appear reduced to 0 HP, setting up advantage or save disadvantage against a fooled creature. It is very fey, very funny, and strongest at tables that reward deception instead of asking every monster to read the rulebook.
Emotional Redirection (Player's Guide 2) (11th) ● — Immunity to charmed and frightened, more Fey Presence uses, and a reaction to bounce charm/frighten attempts back. Excellent defensive upgrade for a patron that expects emotional violence and sends it back with a bow on it.
Induce Fugue State (Player's Guide 2) (15th) ● — Action to incapacitate multiple visible targets in mental illusion for up to 1 minute if they fail WIS saves, ending early if damaged. Great encounter control when the party can focus fire instead of waking everyone up immediately.
Subclass Rating: ●
Celestial (Labyrinth Worldbook)
● A support patron that turns Warlock into a radiant short-rest helper without asking you to stop being a Warlock. Celestial is best when the party wants backup healing and Divine-list utility but still expects you to contribute with Eldritch Blast, control, and high-value Pact Magic.
Expanded Spell List (Labyrinth Worldbook) (3rd) ● — You can learn or replace Warlock spells from the Divine spell list, and those spells count as Wyrd spells for you. This is the biggest part of the subclass. It turns Celestial into the Warlock that can patch party coverage without becoming a Cleric.
Celestial Pact Spells (Labyrinth Worldbook) ● — Bless and cure wounds at 3rd, flaming sphere and lesser restoration at 5th, daylight and revivify at 9th, guardian of faith and wall of fire at 13th, then flame strike and greater restoration at 17th. Bless, revivify, wall of fire, and greater restoration are the real selling points.
Heaven's Gift (Labyrinth Worldbook) (3rd) ● — At the start of your turn, you can spend hit dice to heal an ally within 60 feet without using an action. The ceiling is tied to PB, so it scales cleanly, and the no-action timing means you can still blast, cast, or reposition.
Sanctify (Labyrinth Worldbook) (7th) ● — A 15-foot aura adds your CHA modifier as radiant damage when you or allies in the aura deal melee attack damage. This is excellent in melee-heavy parties and less impressive when the party fights at range.
Blessed Form (Labyrinth Worldbook) (11th) ● — Bonus-action angelic wings and a fly speed. Flight is never a ribbon on a caster. It protects concentration, improves line of sight, and makes your Eldritch Blast turns easier to line up.
Radiant Burst (Labyrinth Worldbook) (15th) ● — A once-per-long-rest radiant pulse that damages hostile creatures around you and gives nearby allies advantage on melee attack rolls until your next turn. Strong effect, awkward radius for backline Warlocks; much better if your Celestial build already plays near the frontline for Sanctify.
Subclass Rating: ●
Void Saint (Labyrinth Worldbook)
● A void patron with great flavor and real mechanics, but its floor depends on the campaign. If void taint, void hazards, and void-magic spells matter at your table, Void Saint becomes a sticky control patron with fear, teleport positioning, and psychic payoff. In a normal non-void dungeon crawl, it is still playable but loses some of its special edge.
Shield of the Patron (Labyrinth Worldbook) (3rd) ● — Darkvision or a range boost, one same-circle spell swap into the void magic style list after a long rest, and advantage against void taint and void hazards. The darkvision and spell flexibility are always useful; the anti-void benefits are campaign-dependent.
Shifting Penumbra (Labyrinth Worldbook) (3rd) ● — When a creature fails a save against a Void Saint feature or void magic style spell you target it with, you can reaction-teleport 30 feet. This rewards save-based casting and turns successful control into positioning.
Void Saint Pact Spells (Labyrinth Worldbook) ● — Command and shield of faith at 3rd, enthrall and ray of enfeeblement at 5th, bestow curse and void strike at 9th, blight and confusion at 13th, then dominate and greater hold at 17th. Command, bestow curse, confusion, dominate, and greater hold all fit the Warlock control plan.
Disquieting Strike (Labyrinth Worldbook) (7th) ● — Weapon hits and Eldritch Blast beams can frighten on a failed CHA save until the end of the target's next turn. The repeat-save advantage clause keeps it fair, but firing this from Eldritch Blast makes it easy to apply without changing your normal turn.
Intrusion of the Endless (Labyrinth Worldbook) (11th) ● — Action to force a CHA save or incapacitate one visible creature within 60 feet for up to 1 minute while you concentrate. It is single-target and save-gated, but incapacitated is a serious condition and Patron's Anchor helps keep it online.
Dark Saint's Scourge (Labyrinth Worldbook) (15th) ● — Once per long rest, choose creatures you can see within 60 feet, force CHA saves, deal psychic damage, and heal yourself for each creature damaged. Good closer, especially when several enemies are still on the board.
Subclass Rating: ● in most campaigns, ● in void-heavy campaigns
Reaper (The Old Margreve)
● A melee-focused subclass that rewards aggressive positioning. It's fun and thematically strong, but requires you to stay in melee—which the Warlock chassis doesn't fully support. Effective in the right hands; punishing to a pilot who plays it like a backline caster.
Reaper's Mantle (3rd) ● — Bonus action to activate a 1-minute aura. While active: heal PB HP on nearby enemy kills, deal bonus necrotic damage in melee, crit on 19–20. 1/short rest. The crit expansion and bonus damage synergize excellently with Pact of the Blade's Enhanced Boon (two attacks). Landing crits more often means more Lifedrinker triggers at high levels.
Expanded Talent List (The Old Margreve) (3rd) ● — Access to magic or martial talents. Lets you take Combat Casting, Two Weapon Mastery, or other martial talents that Warlocks can't normally access. Book of Blades can layer onto that Old Margreve martial access: Battle Tactician (Book of Blades) uses CHA for its DC, War Dancer (Book of Blades) helps Reaper survive melee, and Weapon Option Specialist (Book of Blades) rewards a repeated pact-weapon plan.
Reaper Pact Spells ● — False life, shield, branding smite, spiritual weapon, haste, vampiric touch, death ward, phantasmal killer, antilife shell, cloudkill. A defensive and melee-focused list. Haste as a Pact Spell is extraordinary—cast it on yourself or your party's melee fighter without burning a Wyrd slot.
Eldritch Warrior (7th) ● — When you take the action to use Eldritch Blast, you can also make a single melee attack. This is a full extra attack on top of your Eldritch Blast action. Combined with a Pact of the Blade build, this is exceptional action economy.
Shield of Souls (11th) ● — Kill an enemy while Mantle is active, use your reaction to gain +1 AC (cumulative, max CHA mod). This bonus lasts for the Mantle duration unless you take damage. In a sustained fight where you're killing regularly, you can reach +4 or +5 AC dynamically. The "takes any damage" reset is punishing.
Swift Wings (15th) ● — Attack each creature within 5 ft as one action; they take extra necrotic damage. If none die, you gain exhaustion. This is a dangerous high-risk move. In a scenario where you're surrounded by near-dead enemies it's spectacular; in a scenario where they all survive you've just hurt yourself.
Subclass Rating: ●
Elder Wood (The Old Margreve)
● A forest-patron Warlock built around plant magic, Pact Boon variants, anti-magic durability, and nature utility. Elder Wood is not as generically powerful as Fiend, but it has a much clearer identity than most "nature caster" subclasses: it wants you in forests, near spells, and eventually close enough to use bark-and-claw transformation tools.
Elder Wood Pact Spells (The Old Margreve) ● — Animal friendship and faerie fire at 3rd, spike growth and wildsense at 5th, conjure animals and protection from energy at 9th, conjure woodland beings and giant insect at 13th, then greater restoration and tree stride at 17th. Faerie fire, spike growth, protection from energy, and greater restoration are the standouts. The list is more utility/control than raw damage, which is exactly what Eldritch Blast leaves room for.
Expanded Pact Boons (The Old Margreve) (3rd) ● — Blade gets a wood-and-thorn pact weapon that works with shillelagh regardless of form. Chain can take plant familiars such as awakened shrub or child of the briar. Tome gets a bark-and-leaf book, a Primordial cantrip that counts as Wyrd, and later Primordial or Wyrd rituals through Enhanced Boon. Tome gets the best version; Blade is good if you want the full thorn-knight style.
Forest's Grace (The Old Margreve) (3rd) ● — Free shillelagh as a Wyrd cantrip and natural vegetation difficult terrain no longer costs extra movement. The movement rider is campaign-dependent, but free shillelagh gives the subclass a clear melee or staff identity without spending a cantrip known.
Sap Magic (The Old Margreve) (7th) ● — When a visible creature within 30 feet casts a 1st-circle or higher spell, you can use your reaction to regain HP equal to warlock level + CHA. This includes your own spells. It is not prevention, but it turns spell-heavy encounters into sustain and scales well.
Nature's Endurance (The Old Margreve) (11th) ● — Resistance to damage from spells, plus PB uses per long rest to reroll failed saves against spells. This is the subclass's best mechanical selling point. Many high-level threats are spell-shaped, and Elder Wood becomes very hard to remove with magic.
Avatar of the Wood (The Old Margreve) (15th) ● — Bonus-action 1-minute transformation: AC 16 + DEX, tremorsense 30 ft, +5 ft reach on attacks, CHA-based magical claws, and upgraded Sap Magic against nearby spells. Pact of the Blade builds can treat claws as pact weapons for invocation benefits. Strong and flavorful, though Fiend's Hurl Through Hell is still a cleaner encounter-breaker.
Subclass Rating: ●
Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve)
● The best Old Margreve Warlock patron for players who want an active combat loop. Hunter in Darkness turns darkness, fear, tracking, and bow-based Pact of the Blade into a coherent package. It is less broadly defensive than Fiend, but it gives Warlocks something rare: a patron that pushes them toward mobility and tactical hunting instead of standing still and blasting.
Hunter in Darkness Pact Spells (The Old Margreve) ● — Agonizing mark and illuminate spoor at 3rd, mark prey and nip at the heels at 5th, blood offering and tracer at 9th, harry and heart-seeking arrow at 13th, then harrying hounds and legend lore at 17th. The list is narrow but on-theme: mark one target, track it, frighten it, punish it, and keep pressure on it.
Expanded Pact Boons (The Old Margreve) (3rd) ● — Blade can make a longbow or shortbow as a pact weapon, which is a huge build unlock. Chain can take a wolf-style hunting hound. Tome can identify tracks after 1 minute of inspection. Blade is the star because CHA-based pact bows let Hunter in Darkness build around archery without abandoning Warlock fundamentals.
Expanded Talent List (The Old Margreve) (3rd) ● — You can select from Magic or Martial Talents when you gain a new talent. This opens Stunning Sniper (The Old Margreve), Ranged Weapon Mastery, Weapon Discipline, and Book of Blades picks such as Battle Tactician (Book of Blades), War Dancer (Book of Blades), Weapon Option Specialist (Book of Blades), and Tactical Planning (Book of Blades).
Savage Hunter (The Old Margreve) (3rd) ● — When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 HP, its nearest visible ally within 30 feet can be frightened of you until the end of its next turn. Short duration, but no action cost. It rewards finishing blows and sets up the subclass's fear package.
Step into Shadow (The Old Margreve) (7th) ● — Bonus-action teleport in dim light or darkness to a space near a creature within 30 feet, PB uses per long rest. If that creature is frightened and you attack it, you have advantage. This is the engine. It enables Teleporting Harrier (The Old Margreve), fixes positioning, and lets a bow-Blade Warlock play like a supernatural stalker.
Strike from the Dark (The Old Margreve) (11th) ● — Immunity to frightened, plus weapon hits in dim light or darkness can frighten the target for 1 minute or until it takes damage. The damage break clause keeps it from being hard lockdown, but fear immunity plus repeatable fear pressure is excellent.
Avatar of Fear (The Old Margreve) (15th) ● — After reducing a hostile creature to 0 HP, bonus action to force its nearby visible allies to save or become frightened for 1 minute. Fear-immune creatures are stunned until the end of their next turn instead. The stun clause is spicy; the trigger means you need kill participation to fire it at the right moment.
Subclass Rating: ●
Build Your Tales of the Valiant Character
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Start BuildingWeapons
Pact Weapon (Blade Warlock) ● — Uses CHA, magical, proficient. This is your primary weapon. Bond a +1 sword for the bonus, then dismiss and resummon.
Pact Bow (Hunter in Darkness (The Old Margreve)) ● — Hunter in Darkness lets Pact of the Blade create a longbow or shortbow. This is a major deal: CHA-based archery, martial talent access, Shadow Arrow, and darkness teleporting all point to the same build.
Hand Crossbow ● — If you're a non-Blade Warlock, a light crossbow is your ranged physical option, but Eldritch Blast is almost always better. Skip physical ranged weapons.
Dagger / Simple Melee ● — Emergency melee option. Non-Blade Warlocks should never willingly be in melee range.
Armor
Leather Armor (AC 11 + DEX) ● — Immediately outpaced. Only relevant at level 1 while you decide on a build.
Studded Leather (AC 12 + DEX) ● — Fine for a DEX-focused build if you skip medium armor proficiency. Comparable to Armor of Shadows without the invocation cost.
Scale Mail / Chain Shirt (AC 13–14 + DEX mod max 2) ● — If you're not using Armor of Shadows, medium armor gives you reliable AC. Scale Mail at 14 AC plus a shield takes you to 16 without CHA.
Half Plate + Shield ● (Blade Warlock) — AC 17 + shield bonus = 19 before DEX. You're in melee; you need this. Prioritize it over magical trinkets at early-to-mid game.
Armor of Shadows invocation ● — AC 13 + CHA while unarmored/unshielded. If your CHA is 20, that's AC 18—impressive without a slot cost. But you can't use a shield, which costs you 2 AC and leaves you more vulnerable in melee. Best for backline blasters.
Multiclassing
Stay Warlock through 5th level ● — Pact Boon, Eldritch Blast scaling, Second Boon access, and early patron features are too important to delay casually. The class rewards staying on track.
Stay Warlock through 11th level ● — Lifedrinker, Mystic Arcanum, 11th-level patron features, and higher invocation density all arrive here. Leaving before this point is expensive unless your table has a very specific party-coverage problem.
Small CHA-caster dip after 11th ● — If you need face-skill coverage, extra low-circle utility, or a campaign-specific spell package, consider it only after your invocation spine is online. You are buying flexibility by delaying Warlock features; make sure the receipt is worth reading.
Martial dip for Blade builds ● — Usually unnecessary. Pact of the Blade already gives CHA attacks, Enhanced Boon gives two attacks, and Warlock armor is workable. If you dip, do it for a table-specific defense or talent plan, not because Blade Warlock is incomplete.
Example Build: The Relentless Fiend (Fiend / Pact of the Blade)
Level 1–20 Progression
| Level | Key Feature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pact of the Blade | CHA for attack/damage from session 1 |
| 2 | Invocations: Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast | Blast shapes the battlefield |
| 3 | Fiend: Dark One's Blessing | Temp HP on kills; take Armor of Shadows invocation |
| 4 | Improvement: CHA 16 → 18 | Blast damage and pact weapon both scale |
| 5 | Eldritch Blast: 2 beams | DPS plateau; upgrade to scale mail |
| 6 | Enhanced Boon: 2 pact weapon attacks | You're a blademaster now |
| 7 | Dark One's Own Luck | 1d10 to any save, 1/short rest |
| 8 | Improvement: CHA 18 → 20 | Cap CHA, never look back |
| 9 | Eldritch Blast: 3 beams | Swap invocation: take Lifedrinker |
| 10 | Heroic Boon: Echoes of Power | Max 10 on Blast die rerolls |
| 11 | Fiendish Resilience | Choose resist before each rest |
| 12 | Improvement: CON up | Concentration durability |
| 13 | Pact Magic 3/rest | Budget those slots; Fireball is now free 3x/short rest |
| 14 | Eldritch Blast: 4 beams | Full DPS online |
| 15 | Hurl Through Hell | Fight-defining nova tool |
| 16 | Improvement: +1 CON +1 WIS or take talent | Defensive polish |
| 17 | Pact Magic 4/rest | Free Fireball four times per short rest |
| 18 | Patron's Favor | Spend Pact Magic to cast any known spell, any list |
| 19 | Improvement: Magic talent | Combat Casting or Spell Duelist |
| 20 | Epic Boon: Eldritch Master | Emergency Pact Magic recharge 1/long rest |
Tactics
In combat, open with Hurl Through Hell on the most dangerous enemy (post-level 15). Otherwise, bonus-action Dark One's Blessing proc from any ally kill, then Eldritch Blast with Agonizing Blast and Repelling Blast active. When enemies cluster in melee, switch to pact weapon for two attacks—proc Lifedrinker on both hits. Cast Fireball via Pact Magic when groups need AoE. Save Wyrd slots for concentration spells like Hold Monster. Short rest whenever the opportunity presents; that's your entire resource refresh engine.
Hot Take: Echoes of the Elder is the best default Heroic Boon for most Warlocks because two additional qualifying invocations strengthen the class's core customization without taking away Pact Magic or a spell choice. Echoes of Power wins only when the build's priority is Eldritch Blast damage over that flexibility.
Final Notes
The Warlock gives a player a consistent ranged action and a focused set of choices around it. Choose Pact of the Blade for Charisma-based weapon use, Pact of the Chain for a capable familiar, or Pact of the Tome for broad cantrips and later ritual support. Then select invocations and a patron that match the campaign's fights, travel, and social scenes.
Player's Guide 2 adds Archon, Elemental Regent, Fey Noble, additional invocations, and Warlock boons. Labyrinth Worldbook supplies Celestial for Divine-list support and Void Saint for void-focused control. The Old Margreve options are most useful in games that support their forest, darkness, pursuit, or melee premises. Book of Blades adds supporting talent, heritage, and background choices rather than new patrons or invocations.
Prioritize Charisma, take Agonizing Blast for a blast-focused build, and let the rest of the build answer a concrete table need. The Eldritch Invocations Guide and Best Warlock Spells guide cover those next decisions in detail.
Related Guides
Class Guides
- Best Warlock Eldritch Invocations in Tales of the Valiant
- Best Fighter Stunts in Tales of the Valiant
- Best Wild Shape Guide in Tales of the Valiant
Spell Guides
Talent Guides
- Best Magic Talents in Tales of the Valiant
- Best Martial Talents in Tales of the Valiant
- Best Technical Talents in Tales of the Valiant
Lineage Guides
- Tales of the Valiant Human Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Elf Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Orc Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Dwarf Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Smallfolk Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Syderean Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Alseid Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Bearfolk Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Beastkin Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Erina Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Kobold Lineage Guide
- Tales of the Valiant Piney Lineage Guide
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