Baldurโs Gate 3 Warlock Class Guide โ In this Baldurโs Gate 3 Warlock Class Guide, Iโm going to be covering the Warlock Class, including all 3 Subclasses, and providing you some useful information. Iโll be doing more Build Guides for Baldurโs Gate 3, but for now, letโs just look at how a Warlock functions and its basics.
Baldurโs Gate 3 Warlock Guide Features
Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Class Guide
Warlocks in BG3 are a very unique Class that operates somewhat like a Spellcaster, and somewhat like a martial character. They can learn up to level 5 spells, but their claim to fame is their Cantrip Eldritch Blast that shoots a beam of Force Damage from very long distances, and can be upgraded to knock enemies backward. They also have very high Charisma, making them great at handling Dialogue.
Warlocks make a Pact with a powerful being in order to obtain their magic, and this grants them Pact Magic Spell Slots that operate a bit differently than all other Spellcasters in BG3. They gain far fewer Spell Slots than any other Spellcaster, but they can replenish them on Short Rest, which no other Caster can.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Buide Guide](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Class-640x360.jpg)
Unlike Sorcerers or Wizards, Warlocks can actually melee rather effectively thanks to their Pact of the Blade feature, which not only allows their chosen Pact Weapon to roll using Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity, but at level 5 they also gain an Extra Attack each turn like most other martial Classes, when using said Weapon. This allows them to play effectively in melee or at range, while still having potent Spellcasting.
BG3 Warlock Character Creation
In this Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Class Guide, weโll take a look at how to set up your Warlock during Character Creation for the best results. Weโll begin with Abilities first, since this is arguably the most important part, aside from choosing your Subclass.
Abilities
Your primary Abilities as a Warlock are Charisma and Constitution, but you may also want some Dexterity for improved Initiative and Armour Class.
- Charisma will affect how difficult it is for enemies to Save against your Spells, it will improve Dialogue Skill Checks, and it will also increase the likelihood of your Eldritch Blast hitting your target, and if you took Pact of the Blade, will also effect how likely your melee attacks are to hit with your Pact Weapon, as well as how much damage they deal.
- Constitution is there to help keep you alive via HP, and also to help you maintain Concentration on Spells like Witchbolt, Cloud of Daggers, or Darkness. Warlocks have Proficiency with Constitution, which makes it much easier for them to maintain Concentration than most other Spellcasters.
![](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Pact-of-the-Blade.jpg)
For this reason, I strongly recommend that you invest 16 in CHA during Character Creation, and probably 16 in CON. You can set DEX at 14 to gain some extra AC and Initiative, especially if you end up taking Medium Armour Proficiency later on from a Feat or Multiclass, or got it from your Race.
- STR: 10
- DEX: 14
- CON: 16
- INT: 8
- WIS: 10
- CHA: 16
Note Iโve changed this from the recommendations as it more optimizes your Character during the early goings of the game.
Race
The first Race I recommend is Githyanki, since this provides the Warlock with Medium Armour Proficiency as well as Astral Knowledge, allowing them to gain Proficiency in one Attribute each Long Rest. They will also gain Misty Step at Level 5, which can help with Warlock positioning.
![](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Misty-Step.jpg)
Half-Elf is also a great choice for Shield Proficiency, as well as Fey Ancestry, which provides Advantage on Saving Throws against Charmed, and Sleep Immunity. They also gain Darkvision, but this is less useful to Warlocks who can gain this via Eldritch Invocations.
Humans are also a good choice for the same Shield Proficiency as Half-Elf, but they also exchange Fey Ancestry for 1 Skill. If you want more Skills on your Warlock then this may be a better choice than Half-Elf.
And Half Orc is also not bad for Darkvision, Relentless Endurance, and higher melee Critical Damage than other Races, especially if you plan to play a melee focused Warlock.
Skills
For Skills youโll minimally want Proficiency in Intimidation and Deception, since you should be handling the dialogue in your group if playing a Warlock, unless you bring Wyll along. You can use your Background to take Guild Artisan which will give you Persuasion and Insight, and then use one point to select Intimidation and the other to select Deception.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Level 1
At level 1, Warlocks will gain access to Eldritch Blast which is a unique Cantrip that deals 1-10 Force Damage to an enemy from incredible range. Eldritch Blast targets the Armour of an enemy, and works much like any other Ranged Attack, except that it uses the Charisma Modifier of the Warlock for its Attack Rolls. This means it is more accurate from elevation, has Disadvantage when used in melee range of an enemy, and gains Advantage when used when Hidden from enemies.
Eldritch Blast can be upgraded at later levels to deal more damage and to knockback enemies struck by it, and will gain additional beams that increase with your character level. This is an important distinction from Class level, because this means Multiclassing will not reduce the effectiveness of Eldritch Blast.
Pact Magic
Warlocks also gain their first Pact Magic Spell Slot at level 1. Pact Magic Spell Slots function differently from all other Spell Slots in the game, and they are a different color to reflect this. Pact Magic Spell Slots replenish after each Short Rest, instead of Long Rest like normal Spell Slots, allowing them to be used more frequently before needing to Long Rest.
Additionally, each Spell cast with Pact Magic Spell Slots is always cast at the highest level known by the Warlock. Some lower-level Spells in BG3 can be “upcast” using higher-level Spell Slots to greater effect, and Warlocks automatically “upcast” every Spell they know if it can be because of their Pact Magic Spell Slots.
Warlocks gain far fewer Spell Slots than the typical caster, however, and they know far fewer Spells as well, though, they don’t need to prepare their Spells ahead of time, and can cast any Spell they know as long as they have 1 Spell Slot available.
Warlock Level | Cantrips Known | Spell Slots | Spell Slot Level |
Level 1 | 2 | 1 | 1st |
Level 2 | 2 | 2 | 1st |
Level 3 | 2 | 2 | 2nd |
Level 4 | 3 | 2 | 2nd |
Level 5 | 3 | 2 | 3rd |
Level 6 | 3 | 2 | 3rd |
Level 7 | 3 | 2 | 4th |
Level 8 | 3 | 2 | 4th |
Level 9 | 3 | 2 | 5th |
Level 10 | 4 | 2 | 5th |
Level 11 | 4 | 3 | 5th |
Level 12 | 4 | 3 | 5th |
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Level 2
At level 2 the Warlock will get to pick 2 Eldritch Invocations from a list of Eldritch Invocations, and these all have different effects. More Eldritch Invocations will unlock as the Warlock levels up, and they will get to choose a total of 6 Eldritch Invocations in BG3, giving them a lot of flexibility, and making each Warlock a bit different depending on what they choose.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Build Agonising Blast](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Agonising-Blast.jpg)
I highly recommend at this level you select Agonizing Blast to add your Charisma Modifier to Eldritch Blast’s damage, making it on par with a Weapon Attack. Fiendish Vigor is also good, since it provides you some extra HP before each fight without using a Spell Slot, and it’s much better early on in the game, than later, otherwise I’d recommend Repelling Blast.
Pact Magic
Warlocks gain a second Pact Magic Spell Slot at this level, allowing them to cast 2 Spells before needing to Short Rest.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Level 3
At level 3, Warlocks gain 1 of 3 Pact Boons: Pact of the Chain, Pact of the Blade, and Pact of the Tome.
- Pact of the Chain – Gain a Familiar
- Pact of the Blade – Summon a Pact Weapon that uses your Spellcasting Ability Modifier for its Attack Rolls
- Pact of the Tome – Gain Guidance, Vicious Mockery, and Thorn Whip Cantrips
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Build Pact of the Chain Imp Scouting](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Pact-of-the-Chain-640x360.jpg)
Familiars are nice for another body on the battlefield, and Imps can fly and become invisible, making them great scouts, being able to reach places unseen.
Being able to use your Charisma to melee gives the Warlock the ability to melee effectively, even with low STR and DEX. It also allows them to focus solely on CHA and CON, allowing them to push these Ability Scores high with little divergence.
Being able to use Guidance is great, but only if no one else in your party can cast it. Vicious Mockery is a good pick up, as it allows you prevent dangerous enemies from hitting your tanks when needed, and Thorn Whip allows you to pull enemies to their deaths, though this won’t be that often.
Pact Magic
Both Pact Magic Spell Slots increase to Level 2 Spell Slots at this level as well, allowing you to cast Level 2 Spells with them, as well as upcasting any Level 1 Spell if it can be. This is the last Spell Slot Warlocks gain until Level 11, even though the level of these Spell Slots will continue to increase.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Level 4
At Warlock level 4 you’ll get to select 1 Feat from the Feat list. Ability Improvement is not a bad choice here to get your CHA to 18, since this affects your Dialogue, Eldritch Blast, melee attacks if you chose Pact of the Blade, and the Difficulty Class of your Spells.
Alert is also a good choice since it allows you to take your turn earlier in combat, which can help you get off spells like Hypnotic Pattern before enemies take their turn, making some combats much less difficult.
Taking Resilient and selecting Constitution is also not a bad choice, particularly if you use a lot of Spells that require Concentration, since it will greatly increase your chances of passing Concentration Checks if you get hit in combat.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Level 5
At Warlock level 5, Warlocks will deepen their pact with their Patron, allowing them some new capabilities depending on which Pact they chose at level 3.
- Pact of the Chain – Familiar gains an Extra Attack
- Pact of the Blade – Gain an Extra Attack when using your Pact Weapon
- Pact of the Tome – Gain Spells: Call Lightning, Animate Dead and Haste
Pact of the Chain gets an extra attack for their familiar. Pact of the Blade gets an Extra Attack with their Pact Weapon, allowing them to attack twice every turn. And Pact of the Tome learns 3 spells they wouldn’t otherwise be able to learn, really powerful ones at that, that they can cast once per long rest.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Deepen Pact](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Deepen-Pact-640x360.jpg)
Warlocks will also get to choose a third Eldritch Invocation at this level, including two new ones that let you learn Slow or Bestow Curse. Here I recommend selecting Repelling Blast, which can make Eldritch Blast knock enemies backward. Knocking enemies backwards in BG3 can often kill enemies in one shot, depending on where they are positioned, so it’s more significant than it first appears.
Pact Magic
Warlock Spell Slots also increase to level 3 Spell Slots at this level, and they gain access to level 3 Spells.
Eldritch Blast gains a second beam at this level, allowing you to target the same enemy twice, or two separate enemies in the same turn. Note that this is tied to your character level, so this could be a lower Warlock Level if you Multiclassed.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Level 6
At Warlock level 6 each Warlock will gain a Subclass feature that changes depending on which Subclass was chosen, and that we will cover in the Warlock subclasses section.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Level 7
Warlocks will get to choose a fourth Eldritch Invocation at this level, including 3 new ones that let you learn Ray of Sickness, Chromatic Orb and Silence once per rest, or let you cast Confusion, or let you cast Polymorph. I recommend selecting Mire of the Mind here because Slow can really mess with a group of enemies, turning the tides of battle.
Pact Magic
Warlock Spell Slots also increase to level 4 Spell Slots at this level, and they gain access to level 4 Spells.
BG3 Warlock Guide – Level 8
Feat
At Warlock level 8 you’ll get to select 1 Feat from the Feat list. Ability Improvement is not a bad choice here to get your CHA to 20, since this affects your Dialogue, Eldritch Blast, melee attacks if you chose Pact of the Blade, and the Difficulty Class of your Spells.
Alert is also a good choice, since it allows you to take your turn earlier in combat, which can help you get off spells like Hypnotic Pattern before enemies take their turn, making some combats much less difficult. Or Resilient Constitution for improved Concentration Checks, as I mentioned before.
BG3 Warlock Guide – Level 9
Pact Magic
At Level 9, the Warlock’s Spell Slots reach their max level of 5, and they will not increase from this point onward.
Warlocks also gain their fifth Eldritch Invocation at this level including 3 new ones that let you cast Minions of Chaos, Enhance Leap, or Speak with the Dead. Minions of Chaos is a good choice if you want a strong summons, but Enhance Leap lets you cast this as a Ritual Spell, meaning you never use a Spell Slot to use it, and it can just make exploration way easier without having to worry about Spell Slots.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Eldritch Invocations Minions of Chaos](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Eldritch-Invocations-Minions-of-Chaos.jpg)
BG3 Warlock Guide – Level 10
Eldritch Blast gains a third and final beam at Warlock Level 10, allowing you to target the same enemy three times, or three separate enemies in the same turn. Note that this is tied to your character level, so this could be a lower Warlock Level if you Multiclassed.
At Warlock level 10 each Warlock will once again gain a Subclass feature that changes depending on which Subclass was chosen, and that we will cover in the Warlock subclasses section.
BG3 Warlock Guide – Level 11
Pact Magic
At Warlock level 11, Warlocks gain access to their 3rd and final Spell Slot.
They also gain access to some Level 6 Spells, and they can select 1 that they can cast once per Long Rest without consuming a Spell Slot. This drastically increases the firepower of the Warlock, because they can still use their other 3 Spell Slots for other Spells.
BG3 Warlock Guide – Level 12
At level 12, Warlocks gain their sixth and final Eldritch Invocation including 1 new one that lets you further increase your melee damage by your Charisma Modifier, which is likely a good choice if you chose Pact of the Blade and you are going the melee route. Otherwise I’d select the Elemental or Enhanced Leap, whichever you didn’t select before.
Feat
Warlocks also gain their 3rd Feat at this level from the Feat List. If you’re not at 20 CHA you should take it to 20 now, and if you are select one of the other 2 Feats suggested.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Equipment
Equipment-wise, you’ll either want Light or Medium Armour for your Warlock, depending on what Proficiencies you have from your Race. Focus on gaining the highest AC you can with it, as this will help keep you alive. It’s unlikely you will have more than 14 DEX as a Warlock, so Medium Armour is a better option if you can use it, when compared to Light Armour.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Medium Armour Equipment](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Equipment-Medium-Armour-640x360.jpg)
For Weapon, you will likely be using a Pact Weapon if you play any sort of melee Warlock, so equipping a weapon is not particularly necessary for a Warlock. However, it may be wise to equip a Shield if you have Proficiency with Shields, since this will further boost your AC, and even if you’re ranged you can use the AC.
If you’re not using a Pact Weapon then your Weapon choice isn’t super important since you will like use Eldritch Blast each turn or cast a Spell. Look for Weapons that give you some sort of passive effect.
BG3 Warlock Guide โ Subclasses Features
In this Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Class Guide, your choice of Warlock Subclass comes down to a few factors, what type of Patron do you wish to have? What Spells do you want to gain access to? And what Subclass Features do you gain? Letโs have a look at these things before we wrap up the guide with some Multiclassing tips.
![Archfey Faerie Fire](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Archfey-Faerie-Fire-640x360.jpg)
Warlocks will choose a Patron type at Level 1, which will determine their Subclass, and these are The Fiend, The Archfey, and The Great Old One. Fiends are evil creatures from the lower planes of existence such as Archdevils and Demogorgons, and want nothing more than to watch the world burn. Archfey are creatures of legend that possess secrets long forgotten by mortals, and Great Old Ones are mysterious Patrons from far-off planes of existence, such as an elder god that may have motives inconceivable to regular folk.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Build The Great Old One Tasha's Hideous Laughter](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-The-Great-Old-One-Tashas-Hideous-Laughter-640x360.jpg)
Level | The Fiend | The Archfey | The Great Old One |
1 | Dark One’s Blessing* Command Burning Hands | Fey Presence* Faerie Fire Sleep | Mortal Reminder* Tasha’s Hideous Laughter Dissonant Whispers |
3 | Blindness Scorching Ray | Calm Emotions Phantasmal Force | Detect Thoughts Phantasmal Force |
5 | Stinking Cloud Fireball | Blink Plant Growth | Slow Bestow Curse |
6 | Dark One’s Own Luck* | Misty Escape* | Entropic Ward* |
7 | Wall of Fire Fire Shield | Dominate Beast Greater Invisibility | Dominate Beast Evard’s Black Tentacles |
9 | Flame Strike Cone of Cold | Dominate Person Seeming | Dominate Person Telekinesis |
10 | Fiendish Resilience* | Beguiling Defences* | Thought Shield* |
All Warlocks gain an initial Subclass Feature at level 1 unique to their Subclass, and also gain more unique Class Features at levels 6 and 10 which I’ve marked with an * above.
Additionally, each Warlock will gain access to 2 Spells based on the Patron they’ve chosen at each odd level through Level 9. This means at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Warlocks don’t automatically learn these Spells, but instead can CHOOSE to learn them if they wish as they level up. The Fiend has mostly Fire oriented Spells, while The Archfey and Great Old one have a lot of Control Spells that allow them to manipulate others both inside and outside of combat.
Baldurโs Gate 3 Warlock Guide โ The Fiend
At Level 1, The Fiend Warlocks gains Temporary Health when they drop an enemy to 0 HP, equal to their Warlock Level + their Charisma Modifier. This is a phenomenal bonus that can help offset some of the Warlock’s lower HP compared other martial classes, particularly when using Pact of the Blade. However, note that the Temporary HP from it will not stack with Amour of Agathys, which most Melee Warlocks will use, so it lends itself better to a ranged Warlock, unless you don’t use that Spell.
At Level 1, Fiend Warlocks also gain access to the Burning Hands and Command Spells, though they needn’t select them if they don’t want. Burning Hands is a good short range conal AoE, and Command is a great way to get the Flaming Sword at the beginning of the game if you want it. Both of these Spells can be upcast for greater effect, so they will only get stronger as your Warlock gains levels.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock The Fiend Scorching Ray](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-The-Fiend-Scorching-Ray-640x360.jpg)
At level 3, Fiend Warlocks gain access to Scorching Ray and Blindness. Scorching Ray does excellent damage, and works similarly to Eldritch Blast, and so targets the AC of the enemy. Blindness is phenomenal because it makes the target Attack with Disadvantage, meaning it rolls 2 dice using the lower of the two values, and your party gains Advantage against it, meaning you roll 2 dice and use the higher of the two values. This effect lasts 10 turn, and DOESN’T require Concentration. Both of these Spells can be upcast for greater effect, so they will only get stronger as your Warlock gains levels.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Build Stinking Cloud](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Stinking-Step.jpg)
At level 5, Fiend Warlocks gain access to Fireball and Stinking Cloud. Fireball is a deadly AoE that can wipe out large packs of enemies, or severely weaken them, and Stinking Cloud is a rather large AoE that prevents anyone standing in it from taking Actions. Only Fireball can be Upcast for more damage, Stinking Cloud does not get stronger as you level.
At level 6, Fiend Warlocks can use their Patron to provide them an extra 1-10 roll on an Ability Check once per Short Rest. This is a toggleable feature under their passives tab.
![Cone of Cold](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Cone-of-Cold-640x360.jpg)
At level 7, Fiend Warlocks gain access to Fire Shield and Wall of Fire. Fire Shield gives you resistance to Fire or Cold and let’s your retaliate with the opposite type of damage if struck with a melee attack, and lasts 10 turns with no Concentration needed. Wall of Fire lets you create a huge Wall of Fire that damages anyone caught in it, but requires Concentration to maintain.
At level 9, Fiend Warlocks gain Flame Strike and Cone of Cold. Flame Strike is a ranged AoE that does both Fire and Radiant Damage, and Cone of Cold of a conal AoE that does Cold Damage.
![](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Fiendish-Resilience.jpg)
At level 10, Fiend Warlocks gain Fiendish Resilience, allowing them to select a damage type to gain Resistance to until their next Short Rest, at which time they can select the same or a different type of Resistance.
Baldurโs Gate 3 Warlock Guide โ The Archfey
At level 1, Archfey Warlocks can Charm or Frighten enemies around them for 2 turns, once every Short Rest. This is useful if surrounded, for instance if you’re using Pact of the Blade, but not generally if you’re playing a ranged Warlock.
At level 1, Archfey Warlocks also gain access to Faerie Fire and Sleep. Faerie Fire makes all attacks against affected enemies have Advantage as long as you maintain Concentration, which is almost like a better version of Bless, except it can be Saved against. Sleep, puts enemies to Sleep but can only do so if the total health of the targets is less than the number shown on Sleep. Sleep can be used more easily as the Warlock levels up, since the amount of HP increases with the level of the Spell Slot.
At level 3, Archfey Warlocks gain access to Calm Emotions and Phantasmal Force. Calm Emotions prevents humaniods in the area from being Charmed or Frightened, but require Concentration to maintain. Phantasmal Force deals damage each turn to one enemy as long as you maintain Concentration.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Blink](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Blink.jpg)
At level 5, Archfey Warlocks gain access to Blink and Plant Growth. Blink allows you to “phase out” if you pass a dice roll, preventing you from being targeted or damaged for 1 turn. Plant Growth hampers movement in a large AoE, but doesn’t prevent line of sight, so is best suited to preventing melee units from reaching you.
At level 6, Archfey Warlocks gain the ability to turn Invisible when struck in combat once per Short Rest. They can then use Misty Step on their following turn if they wish, though it will break Invisibility if they do. The problem with this Reaction is that sometimes enemies attack in “groups” and you will turn Invisible to only be hit by the very next attack anyway, breaking your Invisibility. I highly suggest you take Resilient: Constitution if selecting this Subclass, since this can help you pass the Concentration Check that occurs when you’re attacked and Invisible.
At level 7, Archfey Warlocks gain access to Dominate Beast and Greater Invisibility. Dominate Beast will allow you to gain control of a Beast who will fight alongside you, but requires Concentration to maintain. Greater Invisibility allows you to make a target Invisible as long as you maintain Concentration, and any time the target performs an Action or interacts with an item, they will make a Stealth Check to remain Invisible or not, with progressively harder Checks. This is great for your Rogues, or anyone that has high Stealth.
At level 9, Archfey Warlocks gain access to Dominate Person and Seeming. Dominate Person works like Dominate Beast, but works on Humanoids. Seeming allows you to Disguise up to 4 members of your party at once, allowing you to blend in in places you shouldn’t be able to.
At level 10, Archfey Warlocks cannot be Charmed passively. This means Half-Elf or Elf is not a good choice if you plan to take 10 levels of Archfey Warlock, since you already have Advantage on Saving Throws against this effect, nearly nullifying it anyway.
Baldurโs Gate 3 Warlock Guide โ The Great Old One
At level 1, Great Old One Warlocks can passively Frighten an enemy and all nearby enemies if they strike it with a Critical Hit.
At level 1, Great Old One Warlocks also gain access to Tasha’s Hideous Laughter and Dissonant Whispers. Tasha’s Hideous Laughter make a creature Prone that can’t get up as long as you maintain Concentration, though it can try to get up when taking damage. And Dissonant Whispers deals damage to and Frightens an enemy at range. Dissonant Whispers will gain more damage as your Spell Slots increase in level.
At level 3, Great Old One Warlocks gain access to Detect Thoughts and Phantasmal Force. Detect Thoughts is fantastic in dialogues for gaining the outcomes you want, and Phantasmal Force deals damage each turn to one enemy as long as you maintain Concentration.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock The Great Old One Slow](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-The-Great-Old-One-Slow.jpg)
At level 5, Great Old One Warlocks gain access to Bestow Curse and Slow. These can also be obtained by choosing them via Eldritch Invocations, but Great Old One Warlocks can select them as Spells instead when they level up. Bestow Curse allows you to afflict an enemy with a variety of curses from very close range, and Slow allows you to slow down up to 6 enemies, reducing their Movement Speed, lowering their Armour, and reducing their capabilities for as long as you maintain Concentration.
At level 6, Great Old One Warlocks gain a Reaction that allows them to impose Disadvantage on an Attack Roll against them, and if it misses gain Advantage against the target for one turn. This can be used once per Short Rest.
At level 7, Great Old One Warlocks gain access to Dominate Beast and Evard’s Black Tentacles. Dominate Beast will allow you to gain control of a Beast who will fight alongside you, but requires Concentration to maintain. Evard’s Black Tentacles creates a large AoE of tentacles that remove movement and deal damage to creatures within. Attack Rolls made to creatures Smothered by the tentacles have Advantage.
At level 9, Great Old One Warlocks gain access to Dominate Person and Telekinesis. Dominate Person works like Dominate Beast, but works on Humanoids. Telekinesis allows you to move a person or object a certain distance, like off a cliff or into a deadly AoE, and allows you to recast it without consuming an additional Spell Slot as long as you maintain Concentration on it.
At level 10, Great Old One Warlocks gain Resistance to Psychic Damage, and when they take Psychic Damage, the attacker also takes the same amount of damage.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Guide – Multiclassing
In this section weโll take a look at Multiclassing a Warlock in BG3, and what other Classes you might Multiclass with. Keep in mind this is not a complete list, but rather helpful suggestions to that make good pairings.
Paladins, Sorcerers and Bards all use Charisma to cast their spells so they make solid choices for pairing with a Warlock. Warlock Level 2 is not a bad time to Multiclass a Warlock since they will bring with them Eldritch Blast, 2 Eldritch Invocations, and 2 Pact Magic Spell Slots, along with Light Armour Proficiency which is relevant if you Multiclass into Sorcerer. Level 3 is also not bad, since you gain your Pact Boon, on top of those things, and your Spell Slots upgrade to level 2.
Pact of the Blade users will likely want to wait until after Warlock Level 5 in order to gain Extra Attack, so if you’re playing a melee Warlock, 5 is a good level to make the jump.
In my opinion, however, it makes far more sense to take many levels of Warlock and dip into another Class than the other way around, generally. Warlocks are a very unique Class, and they benefit greatly from higher levels of Warlock which make their Spell Slots stronger. Pact Magic Spell Slots do not increase in level when taking other Spellcasting Class levels, so there is a bit more of a focus on Warlock levels than there is with some other Spellcasters.
Charisma-Based Multiclassing – Sorcerer, Paladin & Bard
I like 2 levels of Paladin and then 10 levels of Warlock because you gain Armour Proficiency, you gain Divine Smite, and you can use Divine Smite to great effect with these Spell Slots.
3 Levels of Warlock and 9 levels of Sorcerer will get you a ton of spells, 2 Pact Magic Spell Slots, your Pact Boon and access to Eldritch Blast and 2 Invocations which you can use to buff it.
9 Levels of Warlock and 3 of Bard allows you to pick up Bardic Inspiration, Medium Armour and Shield Proficiency if you go College of Valour, as well as some Skills and Song of Rest which provides you with another Short Rest between Long Rests, which will replenish your Pact Magic Spell Slots.
Martial Class Multiclassing
Warlocks reach their maximum Spell Slot Level (5) at level 9, so it’s not a bad idea to take 9 levels of Warlock when Multiclassing with a martial class. 11 is also a good breakpoint, since you gain 1 more Spell Slot and Mystic Arcanum at this level, so you should aim for 1 of these two.
Multiclassing with 3 levels of Fighter you would gain Armour and Shield Proficiency, along with a Fighting Style and some combat maneuvers if you chose Battle Master. You would also pick up Action Surge, which also replenishes with Short Rest, which is great. 1 level is also another alternative, since you still gain the Proficiencies and Fighting Style, but gain another Spell Slot and Mystic Arcanum.
![Baldur's Gate 3 Warlock Build Assassin Eldritch Blast](https://fextralife.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Baldurs-Gate-3-Warlock-Assassin-Eldritch-Blast-640x360.jpg)
Assassin is not a bad choice either when paired with the Great Old One since the guaranteed Critical Hits of the Assassin can Frighten groups of enemies at the very beginning of combat. And remember, your Eldritch Blast can hit 3 different enemies at character level 10, which could be a lot of Frightening!
I hope you found these tips helpful, and we’ll have some more Builds out really soon that showoff more of these Multiclassing aspects!
That wraps up our Baldur’s Gate 3 Warlock Class Guide! Stay tuned for more Baldurโs Gate 3 content as we update the other Builds, and be sure to drop by our Twitch Channel if you have questions about the game. If you need something specific, check out our Baldurโs Gate 3 Wiki which is being worked on night and day, as well as our Baldurโs Gate 3 Guides.
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