Warlock

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**Primary Ability:** Charisma

Warlocks quest for knowledge that lies hidden in the fabric of the multiverse. They make pacts with mysterious beings of supernatural power, unlocking magical effects as they pry into the secrets and mysteries of reality. Drawing on the ancient knowledge of beings such as angels, archfey, demons, devils, hags, and alien entities of the Far Realm, Warlocks piece together arcane secrets to bolster their own power.

Warlocks are defined by pacts with otherworldly beings. Most Warlocks begin their search for magical power by delving into tomes of forbidden lore, dabbling in invocations meant to attract the power of extraplanar beings, or seeking out places of power where the influence of these beings can be felt. In no time, each Warlock is drawn into a binding pact with a powerful patron.

In contrast to Clerics, who are devout servants of the gods they serve, Warlocks view their patrons as resources, as means to the end of achieving magical power. Some Warlocks respect, revere, or even love their patrons; some serve their patrons grudgingly; and some seek to undermine their patrons even as they wield the power their patrons have given them. Once a pact is made, a Warlock’s thirst for knowledge and power can’t be slaked with mere study. No one makes a pact with extraplanar patrons without intending to use the power thus gained. Rather, most Warlocks spend their days in active pursuit of greater power and deeper knowledge, which typically means some kind of adventure.

### CREATING A WARLOCK

To create a Warlock, consult the following lists, which provide Hit Points, proficiencies, and armor training. If you’re making a level 1 character, also consult the “Starting Equipment” section, and if you’re using the multiclassing rules, see the “Multiclassing and the Warlock” sidebar.

Then look at the Warlock table to see the class features you get at each level in this class. Descriptions of those features appear in the “Warlock Class Features” section.

### HIT POINTS

* **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per Warlock level
* **Hit Points at Level 1:** 8 + your Constitution modifier
* **Hit Points per Later Level:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier

### PROFICIENCIES

* **Saving Throws:** Wisdom, Charisma
* **Skills (Choose 2):** Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Religion
* **Weapons:** Simple Weapons
* **Tools:** None

### STARTING EQUIPMENT

As a level 1 character, you start with the following equipment, or you can forgo it and spend 100 GP on equipment of your choice.

* Arcane Focus (Orb)
* Book (Occult Lore)
* Dagger (x2)
* Leather Armor
* Scholar’s Pack
* Sickle
* 15 GP

### MULTICLASSING AND THE WARLOCK

If your group uses the multiclassing rules in the Player’s Handbook, here’s what you need to know if you choose Warlock as one of your classes.

* **Ability Score Minimum.** As a multiclass character, you must have a score of at least 13 in one of the Warlock’s primary abilities—Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma—to take a level in this class or to take a level in another class if you’re already a Warlock.
* **Armor Training.** When you gain your first Warlock level, you gain armor training with Light Armor.
* **Spell Slots.** If you have both the Spellcasting feature and the Pact Magic feature from this class, you can use the spell slots you gain from Pact Magic to cast spells you have prepared from classes with the Spellcasting feature, and you can use the spell slots you gain from the Spellcasting feature to cast Warlock spells you have prepared.

### WARLOCK CLASS FEATURES

As a Warlock, you gain the following class features when you reach the specified levels in this class. These features are listed on the Warlock table.

#### LEVEL 1: ELDRITCH INVOCATIONS

In your study of occult lore, you have unearthed Eldritch Invocations, fragments of forbidden knowledge that imbue you with an abiding magical ability or other lessons. You gain one invocation of your choice, such as Pact of the Blade or Pact of the Tome. If an invocation has a prerequisite, you must meet it to learn that invocation, and you can learn the invocation at the same time that you meet its prerequisite. For example, if an invocation requires you to be a Warlock of level 5 or higher, you can select the invocation once you reach level 5 in this class. When you gain certain Warlock levels, you gain more invocations of your choice, as shown in the Invocations column of the Warlock table. You can’t pick the same invocation more than once unless an invocation’s description says otherwise.

#### LEVEL 1: PACT MAGIC

Through occult ceremony, you have formed a pact with a mysterious entity to gain magical powers. The entity is a voice in the shadows—its identity unclear—but its boon to you is concrete: the ability to cast spells. See the Player’s Handbook for rules on spellcasting. The information below details how you use those rules as a Warlock.

* **Cantrips.** You know two cantrips of your choice from the Warlock spell list (see the “Warlock Spell List” sidebar). Rather than choosing, you may start with Eldritch Blast and Prestidigitation. Whenever you gain a Warlock level, you can replace one of your cantrips from this feature with another Warlock cantrip of your choice. When you reach levels 4 and 10 in this class, you learn another Warlock cantrip of your choice, as shown in the Cantrips column of the Warlock table.
* **Spell Slots.** The Warlock table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your Warlock spells of levels 1–5. The table also shows the level of those slots, all of which are the same level. To cast one of those spells, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended Pact Magic spell slots when you finish a Short Rest or Long Rest. For example, when you’re a level 5 Warlock, you have two level 3 spell slots. To cast the level 1 spell Witch Bolt, you must spend one of those slots, and you cast it as a level 3 spell.
* **Prepared Spells of Level 1+.** You prepare the list of spells of level 1 and higher that are available for you to cast with this feature. To start, choose two level 1 spells from the Warlock spell list. Rather than choosing, you may start with Charm Person and Hex. The number of spells on your list increases as you gain Warlock levels, as shown in the Prepared Spells column of the Warlock table. Whenever that number increases, choose additional spells from the Warlock spell list until the number of spells on your list matches the number on the table. The chosen spells must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach level 6, for example, you learn a new Warlock spell, which can be of level 1–3. *As you playtest this version of the Warlock, please use the Warlock spell list in the 2014 Player’s Handbook, with the following spells added: Bane (level 1 spell), Detect Magic (level 1 spell), and Speak with Animals (level 1 spell).* If another Warlock feature gives spells that you always have prepared, those spells don’t count against the number of spells on the list you prepare with this feature, but those spells otherwise follow the rules in this feature.
* **Changing Your Prepared Spells.** Whenever you gain a Warlock level, you can replace one spell on your list with another Warlock spell of an eligible level.
* **Spellcasting Ability.** Charisma is the spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with your Warlock features.
* **Spellcasting Focus.** You can use an Arcane Focus as a Spellcasting Focus for the spells you cast with your Warlock features.
* **NEW/REVISED SPELLS.** The following spells from this classes spell list have been added or changed, please use these versions:
	+ Banishment
	+ Blade Ward
	+ Chill Touch
	+ Counterspell
	+ Friends
	+ Poison Spray
	+ Power Word: Kill
	+ True Strike

#### LEVEL 2: MAGICAL CUNNING

If all your Pact Magic spell slots are expended, you can perform an esoteric rite for 1 minute, at the end of which you regain half of those spell slots (round up). Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

#### LEVEL 3: WARLOCK SUBCLASS

You gain a Warlock subclass of your choice:

* Archfey Patron
* Celestial Patron
* Fiend Patron
* Great Old One Patron
* Fathomless (Non-Playtest)
* Genie (Non-Playtest)
* Hexblade (Non-Playtest)

Subclasses are detailed after this class’s description. A subclass is a specialization that grants you special features at certain Warlock levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass’s features that are of your warlock level and lower. There are non-playtest subclasses that can be used, please check with your DM before using one.

#### LEVEL 4: ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. As shown on the Warlock table, you gain this feature again at levels 8, 12, 16, and 19.

#### LEVEL 9: CONTACT PATRON

In the past, you usually contacted your patron through intermediaries. Now you can communicate directly; you always have the Contact Other Plane spell prepared. With this feature, you can cast the spell without expending a spell slot to contact your patron, and you automatically succeed on the spell’s saving throw. Once you cast the spell with this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a Long Rest.

#### LEVEL 11: MYSTIC ARCANUM

Your patron bestows on you a magical secret called an arcanum. Choose one level 6 spell from the Warlock spell list as this arcanum. You can cast your arcanum spell once without expending a spell slot, and you must finish a Long Rest before you can do so again. As shown on the Warlock table, you gain another Warlock spell of your choice that can be cast in this way when you reach levels 13 (level 7 spell), 15 (level 8 spell), and 17 (level 9 spell). You regain all uses of your Mystic Arcanum when you finish a Long Rest. Whenever you gain a Warlock level, you can replace one of your arcanum spells with another Warlock spell of the same level.

#### LEVEL 20: ELDRITCH MASTER

When you use your Magical Cunning feature, you regain all your expended Pact Magic spell slots.