12 Best Warlock Builds for Dungeons & Dragons 5e

Warlock Build

The Warlock is a highly versatile class in Dungeons & Dragons, capable of fulfilling a variety of roles within a party. They can excel as damage dealers, healers, or crowd controllers, depending on the patron they choose and the spells they learn. This guide will provide you with the best possible build for a Warlock, regardless of your chosen patron or playstyle. We will discuss the best ability scores, feats, spells, and equipment for a Warlock, as well as provide some tips on how to play the class effectively.

When creating a Warlock, the first thing you need to do is decide which patron you want to serve. The patron you choose will grant you access to a unique set of abilities and spells, so it’s important to choose one that fits your desired playstyle. If you want to be a damage dealer, you might choose the Fiend patron. If you want to be a healer, you might choose the Celestial patron. And if you want to be a crowd controller, you might choose the Great Old One patron. Once you have chosen a patron, you can start to build your character.

The best ability scores for a Warlock are Charisma, Dexterity, and Constitution. Charisma is your spellcasting ability, so it’s important to have a high score in this ability. Dexterity is important for initiative and AC, and Constitution is important for hit points and concentration saves. When choosing feats, the best options for a Warlock are those that improve your spellcasting or survivability. Some good choices include the War Caster feat, the Resilient feat (Constitution), and the Tough feat. As for spells, the best choices for a Warlock are those that deal damage, control the battlefield, or provide utility. Some good choices include Eldritch Blast, Fireball, Hex, and Counterspell.

Mastering Affliction: A Primer on Spreading Shadow Corruption and Agony

In the arcane depths of the Warlock’s repertoire lies the Affliction specialization, a symphony of shadow and torment that cripples foes from afar. To wield this power effectively, one must master the art of spreading Shadow Corruption and Agony.

Spreading Shadow Corruption

Shadow Corruption is an essential tool for any Affliction Warlock. This curse steadily drains the target’s life force, weakening them over time. To spread Shadow Corruption effectively, follow these steps:

Cast Curse of Agony on your primary target to establish initial damage and generate Soul Shards.
Use Shadow Corruption on the same target, inflicting a deadly debuff that spreads to nearby enemies within 10 yards.
Monitor the Shadow Corruption stacks on the target. When it reaches 4 stacks, the debuff becomes fully active, dealing significant damage over time.
Repeat the process on additional targets, spreading Shadow Corruption throughout the encounter.

By strategically applying Shadow Corruption, you can create a cascade of damage that decimates foes in short order.

Agony: A Tormenting Embrace

Agony is another potent weapon in the Affliction Warlock’s arsenal. This curse causes agonizing pain, dealing damage and reducing the target’s movement speed.

Talent	Effect
Contagion	Infects nearby enemies with Agony when an enemy with Agony dies.
Pandemic	Agony debuffs are transferred to a new target when the current target dies.

To maximize the effectiveness of Agony, consider the following tips:

Prioritize spreading Agony to high-priority targets, such as bosses or heavily armored enemies.
Use Contagion to spread Agony to multiple enemies simultaneously when they are grouped together.
If Pandemic is talented, take advantage of it to sustain Agony on multiple targets, ensuring constant damage output.

By skillfully wielding Shadow Corruption and Agony, Affliction Warlocks can inflict relentless torment and emerge victorious from the most challenging encounters.

The Art of Demonology: Summoning and Empowering Felhounds and Imps

Summoning and Empowering Felhounds

Felhounds are formidable demonic beasts that possess exceptional strength and ferocity. Warlocks can summon these loyal companions to their aid, imbuing them with a variety of abilities to enhance their combat effectiveness.

By casting “Summon Felhound,” warlocks can unleash a powerful Felhound into the fray. This loyal minion relentlessly attacks enemies, dealing significant physical damage with its razor-sharp claws and teeth. Furthermore, warlocks can bestow upon their Felhound the “Shadowflame” ability, empowering its attacks to inflict both physical and shadow damage.

Additionally, the “Fel Domination” talent allows warlocks to enhance their Felhound’s survivability. By sacrificing a portion of their own health, warlocks can grant their Felhound a temporary shield that absorbs incoming damage. This powerful ability enables the Felhound to endure longer in combat, making it a valuable asset for extended engagements.

Empowering Imps

Imps are nimble and mischievous demons that serve as Warlocks’ loyal companions. Despite their diminutive size, Imps possess remarkable utility both in and out of combat.

The “Summon Imp” spell allows warlocks to summon a swarm of these small but deadly imps. These imps harass enemies with their fire bolts, dealing consistent damage over time. Moreover, warlocks can cast “Imp Swarm” to empower their imps, increasing their attack speed and damage output.

Imps also provide valuable utility. With the “Ember Tap” talent, warlocks can sacrifice an imp to restore their own health or Mana. This ability grants Warlocks a strategic advantage in prolonged battles or when facing particularly challenging encounters.

To further enhance their imps’ combat prowess, warlocks can glyph their “Summon Imp” spell. The Glyph of the Searing Imp empowers imps by adding a fire damage component to their attacks, making them more efficient at clearing trash mobs and dealing with enemies with high health.

Embracing Destruction: Maximizing Shadow Bolt and Soulburn

Harnessing the raw power of Shadow Bolt and Soulburn, Warlocks unleash devastating bursts of damage. To maximize this potential, carefully consider the following strategies:

Maximizing Shadow Bolt

Shadow Bolt remains the Warlock’s most potent direct damage spell. To amplify its effectiveness:

Spell Power: Prioritize gear and talents that enhance Spell Power, increasing Shadow Bolt’s raw damage output.
Hit and Penetration: Ensure sufficient Hit and Spell Penetration to minimize misses and maximize damage against targets with high resistances.
Haste: Haste boosts Shadow Bolt’s casting speed, allowing more bolts to be fired in a given timeframe.
Talents: Invest in talents that enhance Shadow Bolt damage, such as Shadow Reach and Pyroclasm.

Soulburn: Strategic Timing

Soulburn instantly consumes a Soul Shard to deal additional damage to the next Shadow Bolt or Chaos Bolt. Its effective use requires careful timing:

Use Soulburn on:

Proc-Generating Cooldowns: Activating Soulburn after activating procs like Demonic Pact and Shadow Embrace amplifies their damage boost.
High-Priority Targets: Reserve Soulburn for critical targets that need to be eliminated quickly.
Burst windows: Combine Soulburn with other buffs and abilities to maximize burst damage during key moments.

Soulburn Buff Management

After using Soulburn, a temporary buff grants increased Shadow Damage for a duration. To effectively manage this buff:

Time Your Shadow Bolts: Time Shadow Bolts with the remaining duration of the Soulburn buff to maximize the damage increase.

Felguard’s Wild Strike: The Felguard’s Wild Strike ability can consume the Soulburn buff to deal additional damage. Use it strategically to maximize overall damage output.

Build Buff Duration: Consider talents that extend the duration of the Soulburn buff, such as Soul Link and Demonic Knowledge.

Stat

Value

Impact

Spell Power

Increases damage output

Directly boosts Shadow Bolt damage

Hit Rating

Reduces miss chance

Ensures Shadow Bolt connects consistently

Spell Penetration

Reduces target’s damage resistance

Increases Shadow Bolt damage against resistant targets

Haste

Increases casting speed

Allows more Shadow Bolts to be cast in a shorter time

Soul Link

Extends Soulburn buff duration

Increases the window for increased Shadow Bolt damage

Demonic Knowledge

Extends Soulburn buff duration

Further increases the damage output from Shadow Bolts

Shadow Priest: Delving into Mind Flay, Vampiric Touch, and Shadow Word: Pain

The Shadow Priest is a formidable damage dealer in the realm of World of Warcraft, harnessing the power of Shadow magic. This guide dives into the core abilities that define the Shadow Priest’s playstyle: Mind Flay, Vampiric Touch, and Shadow Word: Pain.

Mind Flay is the Shadow Priest’s primary damage-over-time (DoT) spell. Its channeled nature allows for sustained damage and benefits from haste effects to reduce its cast time. Players should prioritize casting Mind Flay as often as possible to maximize damage output.

Vampiric Touch is another important DoT for Shadow Priests. It deals Shadow damage over time and also heals the caster for a percentage of the damage dealt. This ability is essential for sustained self-healing and can significantly enhance the priest’s survivability during encounters.

Shadow Word: Pain is a single-target instant cast spell that applies a damage-over-time effect to the target. Unlike Mind Flay and Vampiric Touch, Shadow Word: Pain deals damage based on how long the target remains alive. This makes it a potent ability for targets that are likely to survive for extended periods.

Proper Rotation and Talent Selection

The optimal rotation for Shadow Priests involves maintaining Mind Flay on your primary target, keeping Vampiric Touch active, and periodically casting Shadow Word: Pain. Players should utilize their available talents to enhance these abilities, such as Shadow Weaving, which increases Shadow damage, and Mind Flay: Improved, which reduces Mind Flay’s cast time.

Talent	Effect
Shadow Weaving	Increases Shadow damage by 2%. Stacks up to 5 times.
Mind Flay: Improved	Reduces Mind Flay cast time by 0.5 seconds.
Improved Vampiric Touch	Increases Vampiric Touch damage by 10%.

Holy Priest: Casting Holy Light, Greater Heal, and Prayer of Mending

Holy priests are renowned for their exceptional healing capabilities in World of Warcraft. Blessed with a diverse array of spells, they excel in bolstering the ranks and restoring the health of their allies during intense battles.

Casting Holy Light

Holy Light is a staple spell for Holy priests, offering a quick and reliable burst of healing to a single target. Its versatility allows for usage on both friends and foes, making it equally effective for mending wounds and vanquishing the undead.

Greater Heal

Greater Heal serves as the cornerstone of the Holy priest’s arsenal, providing a substantial heal that can bring critically injured allies back from the brink of defeat. This spell is particularly invaluable in moments of crisis, where every second counts.

Prayer of Mending

Prayer of Mending is a proactive healing spell that applies a beneficial aura to a target. This aura heals the recipient over time, reducing the strain on the priest’s mana reserves and allowing them to focus on other critical tasks.

Renew

Renew is an essential spell for Holy priests, providing a sustained heal over time to a single target. Unlike Prayer of Mending, Renew does not require constant mana expenditure, making it an efficient way to maintain the health of allies over an extended duration.

Mana Management

As a Holy priest, managing mana is crucial for maintaining optimal healing output. Here’s a brief overview of spells that can assist in mana regeneration:

Spell	Effect
Shadowfiend	Conjures a shadowy minion that deals damage to nearby enemies and reduces healing costs for the priest
Vampiric Embrace	Applies a buff to the priest that heals them for a percentage of damage dealt

Discipline Priest: Balancing Atonement, Power Word: Shield, and Smite

Discipline Priests are a versatile healing class that utilizes a unique balancing act between Atonement, Power Word: Shield, and Smite. Mastering the utilization of these abilities is crucial for maximizing their healing potential.

Atonement: Healing Through Damage

Atonement is the core healing mechanism of Discipline Priests. It applies an Atonement buff to both the Priest and their target, causing all subsequent damage dealt to enemies to also heal the target. Optimizing Atonement requires careful management of damage output, prioritizing targets with the most urgent healing needs.

Power Word: Shield: Instant Mitigation

Power Word: Shield is an instant-cast spell that grants an absorb shield to the target, mitigating incoming damage. This ability is particularly useful in preventing burst damage and protecting vulnerable allies. Discipline Priests should judiciously use this spell to provide timely protection.

Smite: Balancing Damage and Healing

Smite is a damage-dealing spell that also triggers the Atonement buff. It allows Discipline Priests to balance healing and damage output. By striking enemies with Smite, they can simultaneously deal damage and generate healing through Atonement. Managing the frequency and timing of Smite casts is essential for optimizing overall healing efficiency.

Monitoring Atonement and Shield Buffs

Keeping track of both Atonement and Power Word: Shield buffs is crucial for effective healing. Atonement should be maintained on priority targets, while Power Word: Shield should be carefully timed to mitigate critical damage. Utilizing weakauras or other monitoring tools can enhance the ability to track these buffs and make informed decisions.

Prioritizing Targets: Identifying Healing Needs

Prioritizing healing targets is essential for maximizing the impact of Discipline Priest heals. Focusing on targets with the highest healing requirement, such as the tank or raid boss, ensures that critical heals are delivered to those who need them most. Effective prioritization requires a keen understanding of raid mechanics and communication with other healers.

Managing Mana: Conserving Resources

Discipline Priests have a limited mana pool, so mana management is crucial. Careful planning of spell usage, including the efficient use of mana-conserving talents and abilities, is essential to sustain healing throughout an encounter. Monitoring mana levels and adjusting spellcasting accordingly helps prevent mana depletion and ensures the Priest can continue providing consistent heals.

Frost Mage: Commanding Ice Lance, Frostbolt, and Blizzard

Ice Lance: Piercing Cold

Ice Lance is a fundamental ability for Frost Mages, unleashing a frigid bolt that explodes on impact, dealing significant damage. Its potency lies in the accumulation of Icicles, which empowers the next Ice Lance with increased damage and critical strike chance.

Frostbolt: The Foundations of Cold

Frostbolt is the backbone of Frost Mages’ damage rotation. This ranged spell hurls a shard of ice at the target, inflicting frost damage over time. Frostbolt generates Icicles, fueling the power of Ice Lance.

Blizzard: Summoning a Wintery Storm

Blizzard is a devastating area-of-effect spell that summons a swirling storm of ice around the caster. It continuously deals frost damage to enemies within the storm’s radius, making it invaluable for clearing large groups of foes.

Icy Veins: Unleashing Elemental Fury

Icy Veins is a critical cooldown that temporarily empowers Frost Mages. When activated, it grants increased haste and frost damage, boosting the effectiveness of all other frost abilities, including Ice Lance, Frostbolt, and Blizzard.

Brain Freeze: A Freezing Debuff

Brain Freeze is a debuff applied by Ice Lance that reduces the target’s spell casting speed. This debuff hinders enemy spellcasters, disrupting their abilities and providing an advantage in encounters.

Flurry: A Chain of Icy Strikes

Flurry is a passive ability that triggers a series of extra attacks after casting Frostbolt. Each successive Flurry attack increases the damage of the next, further empowering the Frost Mage’s damage potential.

Winter’s Chill: Amplifying Frost Damage

Winter’s Chill is a talent that enhances the Frost Mage’s frost damage by a percentage. It stacks with each cast of Frostbolt, Ice Lance, or Blizzard, reaching its full potential at optimal play.

Frost Mage Spells	Effects
Ice Lance	High-damage explosive bolt, empowered by Icicles
Frostbolt	Damage over time and Icicle generator
Blizzard	Area-of-effect frost storm
Icy Veins	Haste and frost damage boost
Brain Freeze	Spellcasting speed debuff
Flurry	Chain of extra attacks after Frostbolt
Winter’s Chill	Progressive frost damage amplifier

Fire Mage: Igniting Pyroblasts, Fireballs, and Living Bomb

Fire Mages excel at dealing explosive damage through direct fire spells. They ignite enemies with Living Bomb, scorching them with Fireballs, and unleashing devastating Pyroblasts.

Igniting Pyroblasts

Pyroblasts are the Fire Mage’s most potent spell, dealing massive damage with a long cast time. Utilizing talents like Firestorm and Blast Wave, Fire Mages can increase the frequency and impact of their Pyroblasts.

Scorching Fireballs

Fireballs are a versatile spell that can either deal instant damage or ignite enemies with Living Bomb. The Combustion and Scorch talents empower Fire Mages to cast multiple Fireballs in rapid succession, maximizing their damage output.

Living Bomb

Living Bomb is a signature Fire Mage spell that deals periodic damage and spreads to nearby enemies. By casting multiple Living Bombs simultaneously, Fire Mages can create a devastating chain reaction of explosions.

Phoenix Flames

Phoenix Flames is a passive ability that grants Fire Mages increased Critical Strike chance and damage. Additionally, it empowers their Fire spells with a chance to trigger Phoenix’s Wrath, dealing massive area-of-effect damage.

Ignite

Ignite is another passive ability that empowers Fire Mages’ Critical Strikes. When an enemy is ignited, it takes periodic fire damage and spreads the Ignite effect to nearby enemies.

Empowered Fireballs

Empowered Fireballs is a talent that allows Fire Mages to cast an empowered Fireball that deals increased damage and ignites the target with Living Bomb. This talent synergizes well with the Combustion and Scorch talents.

Firestarter

Firestarter is a talent that increases the damage of the Fire Mage’s next Fire spell after casting Phoenix’s Wrath. This talent capitalizes on the synergy between Phoenix Flames and other Fire spells.

Master of Elements

Master of Elements is a talent that grants Fire Mages increased spell damage for each of the three elemental schools (Fire, Frost, and Arcane) they have recently cast. This talent provides a well-rounded damage boost for Fire Mages who utilize a variety of spells.

Arcane Mage: Manipulating Arcane Missiles, Arcane Explosion, and Arcane Barrage

Arcane Mages are a versatile and powerful DPS class that excel at dealing sustained Arcane damage. Their core abilities include:

Arcane Missiles

Arcane Missiles fires a volley of missiles at the target, dealing Arcane damage. It is a quick and reliable damage dealer with a low mana cost.

Arcane Explosion

Arcane Explosion deals Arcane damage to all nearby enemies. It is a great way to clear groups of weaker mobs or to deal damage to multiple targets.

Arcane Barrage

Arcane Barrage is an extremely powerful channelled spell that deals Arcane damage to the target. It consumes 3 Arcane Charges and can only be used when you have at least 10 Arcane Charges.

Arcane Charge Management

Arcane Charges are a key resource for Arcane Mages. They are generated by casting Arcane Missiles and Arcane Explosion. Arcane Barrage consumes 3 Arcane Charges, so it is important to manage them carefully. You should aim to build up to 10 Arcane Charges before using Arcane Barrage whenever possible.

Image of Illusion

Image of Illusion is a passive ability that grants the Arcane Mage a 30% chance to avoid all damage while channeling Arcane Barrage. This makes Arcane Barrage a very safe spell to use, even in dangerous situations.

Conjuration of Illusion

Conjuration of Illusion is a talent that can be applied to further improve the survivability of Arcane Mages during Arcane Barrage. When activated, it creates an illusion of the Arcane Mage, which can act as a decoy and distract enemies from the real Mage.

Talent	Effect
Conjuration of Illusion	Creates an illusion that distracts enemies
Arcane Essence	Increases the damage of Arcane Missiles
Arcane Empowerment	Increases the critical strike chance of Arcane Explosion

Enhancement Shaman: Striking with Stormstrike, Lava Lash, and Lightning Bolt

Lava Lash: Fire and Fury

Lava Lash is a potent ability that synergizes with Stormstrike by applying the Flame Shock debuff. This debuff significantly boosts the damage of Lava Lash, making it a devastating follow-up attack. As your target’s health drops below 35%, Lava Lash’s damage is further amplified, transforming it into a lethal finishing blow.

Lightning Bolt: Thunder and Might

Lightning Bolt is a reliable ranged damage ability that deals Nature damage. While it may not be as flashy as other shaman abilities, its consistent damage output and low mana cost make it a workhorse in any enhancement shaman’s arsenal. Lightning Bolt also benefits from talents that enhance its critical strike chance and damage, making it a potent threat from afar.

Capacitor Totem: Boosted Bolts and Bigger Hits

Capacitor Totem is a powerful totem that provides a significant boost to your Lightning Bolt and Lava Lash damage. When positioned strategically, the totem empowers your ranged and melee attacks, amplifying their potency. Its cooldown is relatively short, making it a consistent source of increased damage.

Windfury Totem: Faster Strikes, Hardened Blows

Windfury Totem is a staple in any enhancement shaman’s toolkit. It grants a chance for your melee attacks to strike twice, effectively doubling your melee damage output. The totem’s duration is substantial, providing ample time to unleash a flurry of enhanced strikes upon your enemies. Windfury Totem pairs exceptionally well with Stormstrike and Lava Lash, maximizing your melee damage potential.

Stormstrike: Electrifying Blade, Unstoppable Assault

Stormstrike is the bread and butter of the enhancement shaman’s melee arsenal. This potent ability combines the elements of Nature and Lightning to deliver a devastating blow. Stormstrike deals significant damage and applies the Windfury debuff, increasing your melee attack speed and overall damage output. As you accumulate Maelstrom stacks, Stormstrike’s damage and frequency increase, transforming you into an unstoppable force.

Spirit Walk: Ghostly Evasion, Unseen Prowess

Spirit Walk is a unique utility spell that grants the shaman invulnerability and increased movement speed for a brief duration. This ability is invaluable for dodging enemy attacks, repositioning yourself in combat, or simply escaping perilous situations. Spirit Walk’s cooldown is relatively short, allowing you to rely on its protective embrace multiple times during a battle.

Fire Nova: Burning Fury, Blazing Resonance

Fire Nova is a potent area-of-effect ability that engulfs nearby enemies in a fiery explosion. The initial blast deals Nature damage, while the subsequent burn effect applies additional damage over time. Fire Nova is particularly effective against large groups of enemies, as the burn effect can spread from target to target, propagating a fiery rampage.

Flame Shock: Elemental Detonation, Shocking Surprise

Flame Shock is a staple debuff spell for enhancement shamans. When applied to an enemy, Flame Shock deals periodic Nature damage and increases the target’s susceptibility to fire damage. This debuff synergizes powerfully with Lava Lash and Fire Nova, boosting their damage output significantly.

Earth Shock: Grounded Might, Earthen Fury

Earth Shock is a versatile ranged ability that deals Nature damage. It also has a chance to stun the target, providing a valuable control option in combat. Earth Shock is particularly effective against spellcasters, as it interrupts their spellcasting and leaves them vulnerable to follow-up attacks.

Healing Stream Totem: Vital Regen, Mend the Wounded

Healing Stream Totem is a valuable utility totem that provides passive healing to your group. The totem’s healing aura is constant, making it an indispensable asset for keeping your allies alive and well. Healing Stream Totem is a must-have in any group-oriented content, as it frees up healers to focus on more targeted healing.

Best Build for Warlock

The Warlock is a versatile class in Destiny 2 that can excel in both PvE and PvP content. While there are many different ways to build a Warlock, there is one build that stands out as the best for most situations. This build focuses on the Void subclass and utilizes the Contraverse Hold exotic gauntlets.

The Contraverse Hold gauntlets grant Warlocks the ability to consume their grenade to gain a significant damage boost for a short period of time. This damage boost can be combined with the Void subclass’s Devour ability, which allows Warlocks to regain health and melee energy by defeating enemies with Void abilities. This combination creates a powerful loop that allows Warlocks to stay in the fight, deal massive damage, and quickly recover their health.

In addition to the Contraverse Hold gauntlets, this build also utilizes the following mods:

Grenade Launcher Scavenger
Special Finisher
Supercharged
High-Energy Fire

These mods further enhance the build’s damage output and survivability. Grenade Launcher Scavenger increases the amount of grenade launcher ammo that Warlocks drop, while Special Finisher grants Warlocks bonus damage on their next ability after finishing an enemy with a Special weapon. Supercharged and High-Energy Fire both increase the damage of Warlocks’ abilities and weapons.