Dungeons & Dragons: Overpowered Warlock Builds

Summary

• Warlocks have various powerful options for spellcasting, melee combat, and support roles.
• Different races offer unique abilities to enhance a Warlock’s strengths.
• Choosing the right Feats can further customize a Warlock’s abilities and playstyle.

Warlocks are an unusual class that have made recent gains in the RPG world, appearing in more tabletop and video games than ever before. But they’ve been available in Dungeons & Dragons

since the release of Complete Arcana in 2004. Their exact powers may vary, but their magical powers always involve some kind of magical or supernatural entity. In D&D, a Warlock gets their power from a powerful patron in exchange for eternal servitude.

The evolution of the Warlock also means that a few overpowered builds have been developed to compete with Wizards and Sorcerers when it comes to spellcasting power. Some also build their skills with certain weapons, like a kind of Fighter. Today’s Warlock has all kinds of interesting options for OP builds.

5

Support Serenade

The Bard/Warlock Multiclass

The shared spellcasting modifier, Charisma, allows this build to fill various spellcasting roles. At least four Bard levels are recommended in order to get Bardic Versatility.

Races

Charisma is the most important ability score for both of these classes. Players can also choose other races with racial casting or healing abilities.

• Human: Choose two ability scores to increase by one. In this case, Charisma and Dexterity are the best choices.
• Githzerai: Comes with handy racial abilities, like resistance to Psychic damage, and the spells Mage Hand, Detect Thoughts, and Shield, which use Charisma as a casting modifier.
• Mark of Scribing Gnome: Available in the module Eberron: Rising from the Last War, this Gnome gets a +1 boost to Charisma, along with spells like Message and Magic Mouth.

Otherworldly Patron

The Genie is one of the best choices here, because this Patron is more about defense and stealth than healing. There are different types of Genies to choose from, making this an even more interesting choice. Dao spells include powers like Spike Growth and Sanctuary, while Djinni adherents cast spells like Greater Invisibility and Thunderwave, just to cite two examples.

Feats

• Shadow Touched: Increase Charisma by 1. Learn the spell Invisibility and another 1st level spell from either the Necromancy or Illusion school.
• Telekinetic: Increase Charisma by 1. Learn the Mage Hand cantrip, along with an extra Action that can be used to telepathically shove enemies.
• Resilience: Increase any ability score by +1, and gain proficiency in saving throws for the chosen ability.

4

The Power Of Benevolence

A Warlock With Good Intentions

This build started to fill a support role but can be powerful enough to be the main healer, which is a new role for Warlocks.

Races

Charisma is the most important stat here for spellcasting, but Constitution is another possibility to help give the healer or support role some extra hit points.

• Drow: Gain +1 to Charisma and the ability to cast Faerie Fire, Darkness, and Dancing Lights.
• Lightfoot Halfling: Increases Charisma by +1, and gain proficiency in stealth-related abilities.
• Aasimar: These are the variety found in Volo’s Guide to Monsters. They get a +2 to Charisma and the abilities of Healing Hands, Celestial Resistance, and the Light cantrip.

Otherworldly Patron

The Celestial is the obvious choice for a Warlock/Bard multiclass that takes a healing role. This gives the Warlock access to basic healing spells along with some offensive ones, like Daylight and Guiding Bolt. These abilities are even more useful if this adventure involves the undead in some way.

Feats

• Healer: Gain proficiency in the use of a Healer’s Kit and use it to restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to any wounded creature. Restores additional HP equal to that creature’s total hit dice.
• Alert: Gain +5 to Initiative. The character can’t be surprised while conscious, and hidden creatures don’t have Advantage on attacks.
• Durable: Increase Constitution by +1. Rolls to regain hit points are double the character’s Constitution modifier.

3

Hellish Hexblade

Demonic Power And Sword Mastery

A homebrew favorite that went mainstream, the Hexblade combines spell power with sword mastery.

Races

• Dragonborn: Gain +1 to Charisma and +2 to Strength, the latter of which is useful for weapon damage. Every color choice is either Dexterity or Constitution, all of which are useful.
• Levistus Tiefling: Constitution increases by +1. Gain the spells Armor of Agathys, Ray of Frost, and Darkness.
• Satyr: Available in the Mythic Odysseys of Theros module, this Fey creature gets +2 to Charisma and +1 to Dexterity.

Otherworldly Patron

The choice here is the Hexblade, naturally, which provides this Warlock with various spells designed for melee fighting. Shield, Blur, and Blink are some of the spells this subclass uses for extra defense, with several variations on the Smite spells for more offense.

Feats

• Moderately Armored: Increase Dexterity by +1 and gain proficiency with medium armor and shields. Warlocks can normally wear only Light Armor or Clothing.
• Weapon Master: For characters that need a wider range of weapon proficiencies past the Warlcok’s usual simple range, this allows the player to choose any four weapon skills from either the simple or martial category.
• Charger: Using the Dash action gives the Warlock a chance to either make a melee attack or Shove a target. Moving for at least 10 feet in one direction adds +5 to the attack roll.

2

Spellcasting Specialist

A Build Inspired By The Sorcerer

The Sorcerer is already a spellcasting powerhouse. However, though inspired by the Sorcerer, this build doesn’t require a multiclass, only careful choices when it comes to Feats and subclass.

Races

This isn’t a multiclass build, but some additions to Intelligence would be helpful for those who choose extra spells from the Wizard school, and Consitution is always ideal for spellcasters.

• High Elf: Gain a +1 buff to Intelligence and a Wizard cantrip, along with some handy extra offensive skills with Elf Weapon Training.
• Asmodeus Tiefling: +1 to Intelligence, Darkvision, Fire damage resistance, the spells Thermaturgy, Hellish Rebuke and Darkness.
• Variant Human: Choose two ability scores to raise by +1. Gain one extra skill, and one extra Feat.

Otherworldly Patron

The Fiend gives its adherents a few extra spell choices as they level. Most of these spells are offensive, creating dangerous areas of effect or targeting single enemies. For those who want a darker build with more defensive options, the Great Old One subclass includes spells like Tasha’s Hideous Laughter and Telekinesis.

Feats

• Aberrant Dragonmark: Increase Constitution by +1 and learn a cantrip and spell from the Sorcerer list.
• Metamagic Adept: This Warlock knows two Metamagic options from the Sorcerer class. Examples include Distant Spell, which gives a great casting range, and Twinned Spell, which can hit multiple targets.
• Ritual Caster: Sorcerer: This is only available to those with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 13 or higher, and allows Warlocks to choose two first-level Sorcerer spells to learn.

1

The Cyberpunk Warlock

Ghost In The Machine

Taking only a few levels in Artificer will give this unique Warlock the power of machines. Players are advised to take at least three levels in Artificer, since this will let them choose a subclass.

Races

Intelligence is the most important stat for an Artificer, and there are plenty of choices to help buff up that ability score while maintaining high Charisma.

• Astral Elf: Increase one ability score by +1 and another by +2, or three by +1 each. Gain Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, and a choice of one cantrip from a choice of three.
• Draconblood Dragonborn: Available in the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount guide, this subrace adds +2 to Intelligence and +1 to Charisma, as well as the abilities of Darkvision and Forceful Presence.
• Human: All ability scores are increased by +1.

Otherworldly Patron

The Fathomless grants its Patrons spells that do Thunder and Lightning damage, which fits well with those who have built their Artificer around weapons or powers with the same kind of damage. For players that want a more diverse set of choices, The Genie offers different abilities depending on the kind that’s chosen.

Feats

• Elemental Adept: Choose the type of elemental damage the Warlock’s spells and abilities ignore: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
• Gunner: In case the Artificer subclass doesn’t already grant proficiency with Guns, this Feat does. It also ignores any loading time, and close-range shots don’t have Disadvantage.
• Gift of the Chromatic Dragon: Grants the abilities of Chromatic Confusion, which allows the Warlock to infuse their weapon with one kind of elemental damage, and Reactive Resistance, which gives them resistance to a type of elemental damage using a Reaction.