Warlocks in Baldur’s Gate 3 have joined a pact with some kind of higher power, and through the power of supernatural deal making, they become magically-infused fighters.
Compared to other spellcasters, Warlocks have a limited amount of spell slots, but Warlocks end up being one of the most versatile classes in the game, partly because they get spell slots back after Short Rests. You can play a Hexblade-style Warlock that uses Charisma and a Pact weapon to become a formidable fighter, or you can double down on your spellcasting and get some serious damage out of your Eldritch blast. You can really make a Warlock build your own, but here are some thoughts on how you can start off on the right foot.
Best race for a Warlock build
The best race for a Warlock depends on that Warlock’s fighting style. If you’re a ranged Warlock, an Elf or Tiefling might be your best choice, but melee-focused Warlocks can really benefit from being Githyanki. The weapon and armor proficiencies, plus Githyanki psionics like Enhanced Jump and Misty Step, are just too good to pass up.
Best ability scores for a Warlock build
A Warlock’s bread and butter is Charisma. It should be your highest stat because it can function as a spellcasting and melee attack ability. After that, it’s important to prioritize Constitution for HP and Dexterity so you aren’t the last one moving in combat. Your other three stats can shift around depending on what kind of ability checks are the most important to you, but here’s the array I’d recommend when you start out:
- Strength – 10
- Dexterity – 15
- Constitution – 14
- Intelligence – 8
- Wisdom – 10
- Charisma – 17
Best backgrounds for a Warlock build
There’s really no right or wrong answer when it comes to picking your Warlock’s background. If you want to double down on being the face of the party, you could choose Guild Artisan because then you’ll have proficiency in Insight and Persuasion. Otherwise, you might want to use your background to shore up some weakness from your relatively low Strength and Intelligence. Sage is a good choice for Warlocks that really want to dig into the magical aspect of their existence, and Soldier is a solid pick for melee Warlocks that want to lean into the combative side of their personality.
Best Warlock subclass
The Fiend is far and away the best subclass for Warlocks. Choosing the Fiend grants you the Dark One’s Blessing class feature, which is easily one of the best survivability powers in the game. Every time time you kill a creature, you’ll get temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier plus your Warlock level. The extra spells you get, like Command and Scorching Ray, are good, but Dark One’s Blessing is the real selling point.
That’s not to say the other two subclasses are bad choices. I have a Great Old One Warlock, and trust me, it feels great to score a critical hit and cause all the creatures around you to become frightened. In general, though, Great Old One and Archfey Warlocks just can’t compete with the Fiend.
Best Warlock Pact
A Warlock’s Pact, which you choose at level 3, functions like a secondary subclass. It gives you bonus features and abilities that will completely define your build. If you like the roleplaying element of having a familiar or a dark magic book of spells, then Pact of the Chain or Pact of the Tome are fine choices. But, if you’re concerned about slaying on the battlefield, Pact of the Blade is your only real choice. It gives you a magical weapon that takes advantage of your high Charisma modifier, and at level 5 it lets you take an extra attack with that weapon.
Best feats for a Warlock build
The best feat for a Warlock, as boring as it may sound, is the standard Ability Score increase. At least in terms of damage output, that’s easily your best option because a higher Charisma modifier is going to buff your Eldritch Blast and your Pact weapon attacks. If you need a little more variety, though, I’d recommend taking War Caster. You probably won’t get a ton of use out of Shocking Grasp opportunity attacks, but you’ll definitely use the War Caster’s advantage on Concentration saving throws because some of a Warlock’s most useful spells – like Hunger of Hadar and Hex – require Concentration.
Best multiclass for a Warlock build
There’s a strong case to be made for playing Warlock all the way to level 12, but depending on your playstyle, there are some really great multiclass options that you should consider. If you like that “sit back and cast” style of play that leans on your Eldritch Blast cantrip, then you should consider becoming a Sorlock. In the world of D&D Sorlocks are well known as DPS masters, and that’s just as true in Baldur’s Gate 3 as it is at the table.
On the other hand, if you prefer summoning your Pact weapon and smashing heads, then you might want to consider taking some levels in Bard or Paladin. After getting your Pact of the Blade, just a three level dip in Bard will unlock the College of Lore subclass, granting you attack flourishes for your Pact weapon and Medium armor proficiency (if you didn’t start as a Githyanki).
A Paladin multiclass lets you use those regenerating Warlock spell slots for extra Smites, which feels fantastic. If you go this route, you should start as Paladin for the armor proficiencies, and respec your character when you’re a higher level to rework your Ability Scores for maximum Charisma. You’ll ultimately still want at least 5 levels as a Warlock to get as much as you can out of the Pact of the Blade. No matter what you do with your Warlock, you really can’t go wrong. They’re just plain fun to play.
