Warlock Guide for D&D 5e

Rules scope: This hub contains both the 2014 Warlock and the revised 2024 Warlock. They use different class progressions and feature text. Check the edition label on each build and use the class version allowed by your table.

Compare the class versions

Both editions use Charisma for Warlock spellcasting and Pact Magic, but their feature schedules differ. The examples below are separate rules versions, not a menu for mixing features.

2014 Warlock

The 2014 class chooses its Otherworldly Patron at level 1, gains Eldritch Invocations at level 2, and chooses a separate Pact Boon at level 3. Pact Magic provides one to four spell slots, all at the same level, and expended slots return after a short or long rest. Mystic Arcanum grants one 6th-, 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-level spell at Warlock levels 11, 13, 15, and 17; each can be cast once per long rest without a spell slot. The rules are in the 2014 Basic Rules and expanded patron or invocation options come from their named supplements.

2024 Warlock

The revised class gains its first Eldritch Invocation and Pact Magic at level 1, chooses a subclass at level 3, and uses prepared Warlock spells. Pact Boons such as Blade, Chain, and Tome are invocation choices rather than a separate level-3 Pact Boon feature. Pact Magic slots return after a short or long rest; the level-2 Magical Cunning feature can restore up to half your maximum slots (rounded up) once per long rest. Mystic Arcanum remains at levels 11, 13, 15, and 17, with its spell levels and use limits described in the revised class. See the 2024 Basic Rules for the current feature wording.

Choose a patron

Choose a patron using the subclass text for your class version. The 2014 Player’s Handbook offers the Archfey, Fiend, and Great Old One; supplements add options including Celestial and Hexblade in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Fathomless and Genie in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Undying in the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, and Undead in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. The 2024 Player’s Handbook presents revised Archfey, Celestial, Fiend, and Great Old One subclasses. Similar names do not guarantee identical features.

For each option, check the level at which a feature arrives, its action or reaction cost, uses and recovery, and any concentration requirement. Patron flavor can guide roleplay, but it does not add mechanics beyond the selected subclass.

Choose a species

Charisma is the Warlock spellcasting ability, but species choice does not have one universally best answer. Select traits that serve the character you want: movement, defenses, senses, skills, or a story connection to the patron. Use the ability-score rules from the same character-creation version as your class. Legacy species, optional origin rules, and 2024 species are separate rule sets; do not assume a fixed Charisma bonus or combine traits across them.

Build approaches

• Ranged spellcaster: choose invocations that support the cantrips and control tools you actually use. Eldritch Blast scales with total character level; an invocation’s prerequisites and damage wording depend on the edition.
• Pact-weapon combatant: use the Blade option from the correct version and check its weapon, attack, and invocation rules. The 2014 Hexblade is a supplement subclass; it is not a universal feature of every Warlock.
• Familiar or grimoire: Chain and Tome options differ between the 2014 Pact Boon feature and the 2024 invocation list. In 2014, extra ritual casting requires the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation; it is not granted by the Tome boon alone.
• Multiclass build: check the edition’s prerequisites and multiclass rules, plus which feature interactions require an action or bonus action. A level dip is a trade-off in class progression, not an automatic upgrade.

Plan your resources

Pact Magic slots are limited and recover on a short or long rest in both versions, but the number and timing of other resources differ. Build a turn around the actual action, bonus action, reaction, and concentration requirements of your features and spells. Do not assume the party will take a fixed number of short rests or that a short-rest class feature gives the whole group a reason to rest after every encounter.

Devil’s Sight and darkness can create a useful visibility advantage for the Warlock under the relevant rules, but the spell can also block allies’ sight. Coordinate before using it. The Genie patron’s vessel is not a general shelter that carries the entire party; use the subclass text for who can enter and how its rest feature works.

Common questions

Do all Warlocks get Pact of the Blade, Chain, or Tome at level 3?

No. Those are separate Pact Boon choices in the 2014 class. In the 2024 class, they are Eldritch Invocation options with their own prerequisites.

Does the Warlock always get spell slots back after a short rest?

Expended Pact Magic slots recover after a short or long rest in both class versions. The class does not guarantee how often a party can rest; the 2024 class also has Magical Cunning, which restores a limited number of slots once per long rest.

Which patron or species is strongest?

There is no ranking that applies to every table and version. Compare features at the levels your campaign will reach, confirm source access with the DM, and choose the mechanics and story that fit the character.

Official rules sources

• 2014 Basic Rules: Warlock — legacy class, Pact Boons, and Mystic Arcanum.
• 2024 Basic Rules: Warlock — revised class progression, invocations, and Pact Magic.
• Xanathar’s Guide to Everything — optional 2014-era subclasses and invocations.
• Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything — optional 2014-era subclasses and features.
• Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft — Undead patron.

Read the complete class and subclass text for the version your campaign uses; this hub is an overview.

Browse All Warlock Content

Related D&D 5e Guides

• Cleric Guide
• Fighter Guide
• Race Guide
• DM Resources