Note before I begin: This guide is in no way official, and I won't be touching all the points of the Warlock, like ALL the spells or anything like that. This is mainly for the players interested in the Warlock class and those DMs that might need help figuring out the Warlock

WARLOCKS!!! Why them?

Hello fellow humanoids/anthropomorphic creatures! If you're reading this, you're probably interested in the Warlock (or here to watch me fail at explaining them)!

I am an experienced Warlock player who has been thrown into the cold waters that is the complexness of the class many times, and I am certain that there are people out there who might want/need aid, and I am here to help you- to level 3, of course.

Keep in mind that although I have experience with the Warlock, my advice is by no means something that you HAVE to do before you can become a "proper Warlock player", but it is best to keep these types of things in mind.

Level 0: What are Warlocks (Lore-Wise)?

Warlocks are spellcasters that get their power from otherworldly beings, which we call patrons. These beings typically come from other planes of existenses- for example, the Archfey from the Feywild, the Fiend from the Nine Hells, et cetera.

What separates them from Clerics is that they make PACTS with their patron rather than pledging an oath to serve them. What this means is that maybe a human, craving knowledge and power, made a pact with the Great Old One to fuel these desires, or maybe a half-elf begrudgingly gave himself to the Fiend in order to save his family.

Most patrons demand something out of their Warlocks though- maybe collect this rare item, or kill an important figure that's bound to mess with their over-arching plans. Either way, failure to accomplish this means ill for the Warlock- their powers may be stripped away, or maybe they are dragged into the plane of their patron in order to be killed, or worse.

Level 1: What are Warlocks (Playing-Wise)?/Pact Magic

This answer depends a LOT on which Otherworldy Patron the Warlock player chooses, but at its core, Warlocks are a Charisma-based spellcasting class that relies on its Cantrips and Invocations (level 2) more than it relies on its spell casting, which is very limited.

Your stats should most likely have Charisma as your number one stat, your Dexterity OR Constitution as your number two stat, and depending on if you plan on dealing actual attacks (not a joke- Warlocks of the Fiend favor this), then Strength be next, followed by either Intelligence or Wisdom. This is only a suggestion, keep in mind that you could flavor it so your Strength is better than your Dex and Constitution, it's YOUR character.

As a Warlock, it is important that you NEVER spam your non-Cantrip spells. For most of your time leveling up, you only get access to 1 or 2 spells every rest- which, although regaining your slots every rest rather than every LONG rest is good, is NOT a lot of spells compared to your other casters.

For Cantrips, as most people you tell you, it's not a SUGGESTION to get Eldritch Blast- it is a MUST. Eldritch Blast is one of the best cantrips in the game when combined with Invocations, some of which will be detailed at the end.

For Spells... is a little more complex, mainly because some of that relies on which playstyle/patron you choose, but most people will say that Hex is a good, reliable option, mainly because there is NO saving throw required- you literally point at a person within 90ft of you, say, "F*** you", and they are now under a Hex.

I won't detail Hex's effects, but if you look them up yourself, you will love it.

Level 1 (cont): Otherworldly Patrons

There are a total of 5 Otherworldy Patrons (6 if you count SCAG's Undying, but I don't have SCAG, so I won't go over it). Each Patron will give you a nice bonus to the spells that you CAN learn (you don't have to pick them), plus a neato action that allows you to do something that further connects you with your patron.

The Archfey

The Archfey is a mystical, almost whimsical patron that gives you powers based upon the Feywild, which is the plane where they rule or hold some sort of power there, whether it be that they are the Princes or Princesses of certain areas... or ancient Hags.

Either way, as a Warlock of the Archfey, you are best suited as an Arcane Trickster (of sorts). These guys, just like the Rogue archetype, focus on beguiling and tricking people into doing what they want. You get a bonus way of charming/frightnening, which allows you to put your Charisma to good use. I should note that out of the five patrons, this ability will probably be used the most out of combat (other than The Great Old One) mainly because charming/frightening is amazing both in AND out of combat, especially when being deceptive.

The Fiend

I don't think I need to go over what the Fiend is- THEY ARE DEVILS OR DEMONS!!! Originating from the Abyss or the Nine Hells (respectively), they are diabolical creatures, who spend their time hating each other and plotting each other’s demise or the spread of their own power, and although what YOU may be doing may not be inheritantly evil, they always have a master plan up their sleeves.

As a Warlock of the Fiend, you might be best for combat casting, as you get temporary HP every time you knock a creature down to 0HP. Your spells should probably reflect this, and be as combat based as possible.

The Great Old One

Ah yes, Cthulu.

I mean, he's not the only one that's giving you these powers, but he's the most recognizable one. The Great Elders (like Cthulu) are pretty impressive when it comes to their knowledge- trying to comprehend what they know or even what they look like can drive a normal man insane.

You are no NORMAL man, however- you are a STUPID one.

And by being stupid, I mean that you get a stupid-ly good bonus, which allows you to telepathically communicate with ANY creature w/in 30ft of you, given they understand A language, not just one you know.

These guys get spells that typically revolve around getting more knowledge of things OR around boggling your foes' minds, debuffing them.

The Celestial

So, you know how the Fiend includes (but is not limited to) Devils and Demons?

Well, here's almost the exact opposite: the Celestial, reigning from the Upper Planes, which is filled with Empyreans, Unicorns, Ki-Rins, Angels- all of whom will most likely tell you to bring light to the Material Plane, bringing the end to fiends and demons.

Now, you might be thinking, "Wow! This subclass sounds like it'll be exactly like the Paladin!!!" And, in some ways, you're right- they DO have a limited number of spells, but whilst the Paladin focuses on dealing damage and smiting his foes with a little bonus to allies, the Celestial Warlock is the opposite, focusing on healing and buffing allies with a few spells to smite your foes back where they came from.

You also get a pool of d6s that you can use to heal your pals as a BONUS action, no touch or spell slot required, but it refuels every long rest. I'd call it a better Lay On Hands (Paladin feature), but Paladins can cure diseases with this, which YOU can't. Ah, well, at least you'll get Light and Sacred Flame cantrips along with it.

The Hexblade

So have you ever looked at a spear and have been like, "Man, I am super persuasive, but I'm weak as heck. I want to use my persuasiveness to kill people using the spear."

Well, you're in luck!!!

Hailing from the Shadowfell, the Hexblade is a bizzare patron, mainly because a lot of people have little understanding on who he or she is/can be. The Hexblade, simply put, is a magical force that coats sentient magic items, such as Blackrazor, which is a legendary blade of gruesome power.

But whatever the Hexblade is, there's something that can be said for sure- the powers that they give you- even at first level- is absolutely astonishing.

First off, congratulations! You're now proficient with martial weapons, shields, and medium armor. Combine that with the fact that, every long rest, you can choose a non-two-handed weapon that you use your CHARISMA modifier for attack and damage rolls instead of Strength or Dexterity... you're now known as a Front-Line fighter. For more details on that, click here.

Also at first level, if you weren't powerful enough using your spellcasting modifier AS your attacking modifier, say hello... to the Hexblade's Curse.

Once per rest, you point at someone as a bonus action and say, "F*** you." Whenever you attack them at any time within 1 minute of cursing them, you critical on a 19-20, gain +2 to damage rolls against them (your proficiency bonus), and regain health equal to (Charisma mod+Level).

This is a knockout ability (figuratively and literally) when combined with Hex and other spells you can learn. I must note that I am a little biased towards the Hexblade, but I should warn you that you should probably pick your play style- the Hexblade isn't for everyone.

Level 2: Eldritch Invocations

So when you're making your Warlock character at level one, you might be thinking, "ooh-wee, I sure do want some sort of power to allow me to have infinite Mage Armor and the ability to talk to animals all the time".

If you are genuinely thinking that, then you must NOT be new to the class, as Eldritch Invocations is basically that- you get things that your Patron bestows on you for being a good little child of theirs. Although you only get two at this level, what you get can be INSANE. Let me go over the generally nice ones.

Agonizing Blast: When casting Eldritch Blast, you add your Charisma mod to the damage dealt to your opponent. This means that your already good cantrip gets better, and makes it easier to spam, as it does a neat amount of damage.

Armor of Shadows: You have Mage Armor now. Forever. Your new AC is 13+Dex mod, so you can probably sell your Leather Armor.

Devil's Sight: You can see NORMALLY in darkness to a range of 120ft, MAGICAL OR NOT. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT limited to those who choose the Fiend Patron. Also also, this isn't normal darkvision- this is ADVANCED darkvision. Darkness is no longer dim light- it's bright lights, bay-bee.

Eldritch Sight: You permanently have Detect Magic on. Yep. You can see all magical instances, which means illusions and magical shapeshifting, to a range of 30ft, at all times.

Mask of Many Faces: You permanently have Disguise Self. I... I don't think I need to explain that this is good.

Lance of Lethargy: Your Eldritch Blast now slows people down by 10ft on a hit. It's a nice buff, making it kind of like Ray of Frost, but more damage, more range, less resistances...

Again, all of these are just suggestions, it's best if you look at the list itself and see which one suits your fancy!

Level 3: Pact Boon

At 3rd level, your patron decides to give you a little treat for not betraying it this far- this treat being either MORE SPELLS, A MAGIC WEAPON, OR A FAMILIAR THAT CAN TURN INVISIBLE. Let me explain further: You pick ONE of these very nice little treats that allow you to either enhance what you have or cover what you don't.

Also, you can replace one of your Invocations with another Invocation, so here's ALSO some Boon-Only Invocations.

Here's a sneak peek:

Pact of the Tome:

You get a cute little diary called the Book of Shadows. In case you were bored of casting two measly cantrips over and over again, the Book of Shadows gives you three more cantrips that can be ANY cantrip from ANY class's spell list. What you pick is up to you, but I would personally take Shillelagh if you aren't playing with the Hexblade.

Other possible suggestions include Toll the Dead (Xanathar's) for more damage than the non-invocation Eldritch Blast, Dancing Lights are always fun, Thorn Whip is a classic for pulling foes into your line of fire, and Vicious Mockery for screwing over your opponents MORE.

You can get the Invocation Book of Ancient Secrets which allows you to collect two rituals of 1st level in your Book, plus you can find more rituals and copy them down similar to a Wizard's. The best options include Find Familiar and Identify.

Pact of the Blade:

You pick any melee weapon to form into your hand. This weapon is now magical (overcoming magical resistances and immunities) and you are automatically proficient with. The classic option for this is the rapier, but you can choose any blade with this weapon, and you can even perform a 1-hour ritual in order to summon that weapon into your hands, or even select a new, possibly magical weapon that you have.

You can get the Invocation Improved Pact Weapon, which allows your weapon to become a +1 weapon, can be short/longbow, light/heavy crossbow, and can be a spellcasting focus. It's pretty nice all around, allowing you to cast Hex and slice people with the same hand.

Pact of the Chain:

My personal favorite, you get a familiar that fights along side of you. This familiar can be anything out of the normal list, or Psuedodragon, Sprite, or (the better options, these guys can turn invisible and shapeshift at will) the Imp or Quasit. They do not have to match your patron, so the Archfey can choose an Imp if they want to. Either way, these guys can attack if you forgo your attack, but the best part about this is that you can look through your familiar's senses while it's within 100ft of you (like a normal familiar).

You can get the Invocations either: Voice of the Chain Master, which allows you to speak through your familiar and can have a basically infinite range of telepathy, or Gift of the Ever-Living Ones, which allow you to regain full health every time you roll to regain HP (which is amazing because short rests are now uber cool).

Outro: Warlocks: Amazing Class... If You Know Them

There are certain people out there that say that Warlock is an overpower class, while others say that it is UNDERpowered. Maybe the class is repetitive at times, or maybe has too much variety, or doesn't do that much damage, or does too much damage- contradictory statements leave us nowhere.

What do I think?

I may be a LITTLE biased, but I think that Warlocks- like most classes- are only as strong and as cool as the player shapes them. As long as you use them the way that you want to use them, I can guarantee that you can have fun with the class.

Well, I must be going. I'll see if I can edit these when I get the willpower to.

Edit: Fixing some Fiend things, thank you to a Warlock player in the comments. Also, the picture used was from Wizards of the Coast in the Player's Handbook.