Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Build

The best Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock build features in a class built around magic and eldritch invocations. Warlocks are one of many options for classes in Baldur's Gate 3, focusing on magic gifted by otherworldly patrons. Depending on your patron, your Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock build will bestow upon you a variety of abilities and spells to use as you wish.

Baldur's Gate 3 follows in its predecessors footsteps, allowing players to explore the Forgotten Realms and own the mantle of either hero or villain in this immersive fantasy experience. As part of the game, players are able to choose their own class, race and alignment. No choice is made for you and you can either wreck havoc or become a hero. But before you do any of that, you’re going to need to create your character. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock 

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Among the Baldur’s Gate 3 classes, specifically the spellcaster, the Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlocks are among those who are gifted their magic by an outer entity. Much like Clerics and Paladins, their magic stems from another being blessing them with it. Whilst Wizards, Druids, Bards and Rangers all learn their magic, Warlocks made a deal with a powerful being and were given magic and power in return.

As a result, Warlocks have access to a unique spell list featuring a number of Warlock-exclusive spells. But the one thing you should remember when playing a Warlock is their relation with spell slots. Like all mages, Warlocks use spell slots when casting magic, but unlike other mages their number of spell slots are significantly less. They pay-off for this is that Warlocks regain all their spell slots after a Short Rest rather than a long one. Although the Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlocks might not have access to as many Short Rests as the tabletop versions might, they can still take 2 short rests a day before needing a long one. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlocks are a Charisma-based spellcasting class, as such, you’ll want to make sure Charisma is your highest stat. After that, you should make Constitution your next highest. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Subclasses

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As of Early Access, there are two subclasses for Warlocks. The Fiend and The Great Old One. However, upon the Baldur’s Gate 3 full release, there will be an additional patron to choose from, the Archfey.  

Although both Patrons offer access to the same spell list, they both offer different abilities. However, because there is currently a Baldur’s Gate 3 Max Level, you’ll only see one of these subclass features.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock - Fiend

Warlocks in service to fiends work towards corrupting, destructive ends, – intentionally or otherwise – and receive hellish blessings in turn. Fiend Warlocks have access to the spell Burning Hands and Command, but they also get the feat Dark One’s Blessings.

Dark One’s Blessing: When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, this gift from your patron grants you Charisma Modifier + your level hit points. (At least 1 temporary HP).

Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock - Great Old One 

Warlocks bound to Eldritch entities work towards inscrutable goals, gaining powers over entropy and the mind. One of the first things that Great Old One Warlocks get that Fiend Warlocks don’t is access to two very powerful spells:

• Tasha’s Hideous Laughter: Can leave foes prone and incapacitated, leading to a nice opening for other classes to come in.
• Dissonant Whispers: Deals 3d6 Psychic Damage and can lead foes frightened.

However, the Dungeons & Dragons iteration of the Great Old One sees the ability to communicate with allies telepathically within range. As of now, this feature hasn't been added, and it may even be altered slightly to fit the digital game format more. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Eldritch Invocations

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Warlocks’ main class feature is their access to Eldritch Invocations, features that grant you specific bonuses and boons.

• Agonizing Blast: When you cast Eldritch Blast, add your Charisma modifier to the damage it deals, unless it is negative.
• Armour of Shadows: You can cast Mage Armour on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot.
• Beast Speech: You can cast Speak with Animals at will, without expending a spell slot. 
• Beguiling Influence: You invoke your patron’s bewitching charm. You gain proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion Skills
• Devil’s Sight: You can see normally in darkness, both magical and non magical, to a distance of 18 m.
• Fiendish Vigor: You can cast False Life on yourself at will as a 1st-level Spell, without expending a spell slot. 
• Mask of Many Faces: You can cast Disguise Self at will, without expending a spell slot. 
• Repelling Blast: When you hit a creature with Eldritch Blast, you can push the creature up to 4.5 m away from you.
• Thief of Five Fates: Once per long rest, you can cast Bane using a Warlock spell slot.

Although the Invocation you should choose depends on your playstyle, the best ones remain 'Agonizing Blast', 'Armour of Shadows' and 'Beast Speech'. We wouldn't recommend the invocations that allow you to simply cast a spell as per normal, as you're better off giving that spell to one of your other characters. Being able to give your Warlock passive abilities that'll enhance your general gameplay will suit you much better in the long-run.

Best Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Build 

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With all these features in mind, you might now be wondering what is the best build for Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlocks? You’ll need to start off with a good race, one that will increase your Charisma by default. We recommend: 

• Tiefling: +2 Charisma then you can pick a subrace to specialise in your secondary stat.
• Half-Elf: +2 Charisma and +1 in two other stats. 
• Human: +1 to all stats.

The Fiend Warlock is the best subclass to choose from thanks to the Dark One’s Blessing. Choosing a Tiefling or Half-Elf will help increase your charisma as well as offer some advantageous racial features. As for Eldritch Invocations, we would recommend Agonising Blast first and foremost.

Then, because Early Access is abundant in animals to talk to, Beast Speech can provide more content to explore. But if you don’t have Darkvision, we would recommend the Devil’s Sight Invocation. Warlocks are mainly a spellcasting class, and as such you'll want to focus on your choice of spells. These are our recommended spells for your Warlock: 

Scorching Rays

One of Warlock’s main DPS spells, if you were to target all three scorching rays on one person, that’s 6d6 fire damage on one target. Or you can spread it out more and target multiple foes standing between you and victory.

Armour of Agathys

If you’re planning on being quite up-close and personal with your enemies then equipping the Armour of Agathys is a must. It’s not the temp hit points you want, it’s the additional 5 points of damage you can inflict to anyone who hits you with melee attacks.

Misty Step

Misty Step is a a bonus action spell that can pretty much get the player anywhere they might need to be. Whether it’s a matter off escaping trouble or quickly joining a fight.

Hex

Hex deals an additional d6 along with any attack you hit them with, and if you kill your opponent, you can recast Hex on another target with ease. This combined with the Dark One's Blessing can help you against large groups of enemies.

Eldritch Blast

There is no debate in saying that Eldritch Blast is the best and strongest cantrip in all of Baldur’s Gate 3. With the additional invocations that can add additional damage to your rolls, Eldritch Blast deals a great amount of damage which only increases as the player’s level increases too.

In conclusion, for the ideal Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock you'll want to play a Tiefling/Half-Elf Fiend Warlock with the Agonizing Blast and Beast Speech Invocations. Using the aforementioned spells to help you in combat. 

That’s it for the best Warlock build, but if you don’t want to necessarily create your own Warlock, you can instead use Wyll, one of the companion characters you can meet in the Druid Grove who is a Fiend Warlock.