Min/Max Warlock for Damage/Utility

[ajrockstarr]

We’re currently in a campaign starting at level 3 and going to 20, I was hoping for an outlined build on what can produce the most amount of damage fairly consistently for the Warlock, I’m somewhat new to the lock so I wanted peoples opinions on it. (All expansion and additional content allowed for 5e like Xanathars and the like)

[rbstr]

High charisma, use eldritch blast and take agonizing blast as an invocation. Cast Hex on the target. All warlocks can do this well.

You need to give a bit more direction for what you want out of the character.

[sophontteks]

Probably go infernal and pick up the chain pact. The familiar gives you magic resistance, can be invisible, and can fly. Infernal gives you great damage and control spells. Plus it allows you to hurl a target through hell. And yes it is as good as it sounds.

[Aaron Underhand]

For utility I would consider pact of the Tome, but you could try ritual caster (Wiz) instead

[Marvnmartian]

Personally I have never been in/run a game where warlocks shine very well, you need a dm that gives you tons of short rests or uses some house rule for how long short rests are because most groups im in/run will not take the hour break during a dungeon crawl.

but using the warlocks main draw imo eldritch blast+agonizing blast only requires a 2 level investment and depending on how you want to swing this you can go sorc for damage or bard for everything else.

So personally if I know my party doesn't have a face I will take the bard route and take agonizing and mask of many faces. because Mask is the most over powered invocation for out of combat spying etc. My Bardlock would switch his appearance every time he went in or out of a room, so i created 5 random appearances and give them names so i could just say i turn into 1-5 when i walk into a dark corner it has been abused so many times. So Lore Bard 18 - GOO Lock 2

Sorclock is simple enough, take agonizing and either mask or repelling blast if you plan on twinning or quickening your eldritch blast to really take advantage of the 10 foot push off of 4 blasts or 8 which could be crazy if you are fighting a melee opponent and just keep pushing them back 40 feet to 80 feet a round letting your ranged party members just pick him off. So Draconic Sorc 18 - GOO Lock 2

Choose half elf for either classes.

[Naanomi]

For utility, it is hard to beat Celestial Warlock with Pact is the Tome... top-off healing and ritual casting on top of the consistent damage of a Warlock. Perhaps not the biggest nova payoff, but consistently useful in a host of situations

[rbstr]

Probably go infernal and pick up the chain pact. The familiar gives you magic resistance
No it does not. That's a DMG-based optional rule that's got nothing to do with the Chain pact.

[sophontteks]

No it does not. That's a DMG-based optional rule that's got nothing to do with the Chain pact.

Well, unless you use the optional rule. Then it would be very relevent. I mean, yeah, if you choose to ignore this totally awesome optional power then that pact is really terrible, so, why would anyone ignore it?

[Snowbluff]

Well, unless you use the optional rule. Then it would be very relevent. I mean, yeah, if you choose to ignore this totally awesome optional power then that pact is really terrible, so, why would anyone ignore it?

While it should work by RAW, the pseudodragon being good was kiboshed my tweet.

[JakOfAllTirades]

The Warlock often ends up being second best at everything, unless you're playing "The Face" of the party and engaging in lots of social encounters. Warlocks are very charismatic, with access to lots of charm and enchantment spells so this is a natural role, at which they actually excel. (Even if they're otherwise creepy AF.)

They have Deception and Intimidation as class skills, but not Persuasion, so if you decide to play The Face character, you'll need to get Persuasion skill from a racial bonus (Human or Half-elf), a Background, or from the Beguiling Influence Invocation - not recommended because you'll have better things to do with Invocation slots.

Aside from The Face role, the Warlock usually comes off second (or worse) in terms of melee or spellcasting. Where they excel usually depends on their choice of Invocations, which are at-will abilities no other class can match. Choose a role, and then take at-will Invocations to fit.


Blaster: Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast; This isn't utility - it's your bread and butter combat role.

Trickster: Mask of Many Faces, Misty Visions

Lore Master: Eldritch Sight, Eyes of the Rune Keeper, Book of Ancient Secrets (Tome Pact only)

Spy: Gaze of Two Minds, Voice of the Chain Master (Chain Pact only); later, add One with Shadows


Once you've got enough Invocation slots, you can take on multiple roles for more utility.

[rbstr]

While it should work by RAW, the pseudodragon being good was kiboshed my tweet.

It doesn't work by default RAW and it's certainly not RAI. That optional rule is for use if a player encounters an Imp and convinces/binds it it to be familiar via contract. Go read it. This version of a familiar dies permanently if killed and is not resummonable. It's a little buddy you can get if your DM enables it.

If you go into a game and go "Oh yeah and I get magic resistance from my Chain Pact Familiar" most DMs will shut you down. You get the stablock that's in the back of the PHB.

[sophontteks]

It doesn't work by default RAW and it's certainly not RAI. That optional rule is for use if a player encounters an Imp and convinces/binds it it to be familiar via contract. Go read it. This version of a familiar dies permanently if killed and is not resummonable. It's a little buddy you can get if your DM enables it.

If you go into a game and go "Oh yeah and I get magic resistance from my Chain Pact Familiar" most DMs will shut you down. You get the stablock that's in the back of the PHB.
You say that but there is no ruling on it that I've found, so who's to say what is RAW and what is RAI? Its as if they have specifically avoided any ruling on it. And which DMs would shut you down? I wouldn't. Its pretty stupid, to me, that the warlock has an entire pact devoted to being gifted a familiar by some superior being, yet its only marginally better then the basic wizard cantrip that the other pact can pick up as one of its three choices.

[Snowbluff]

I’ve always wondered if I can get a pseudodragon at a convention or from a mod that would give the spell resistance, as how the tweet made it sound like ones you summon via Chain Pact just don’t, but if you found one, you get it.