Baldurs Gate 3: Warlock - best build Baldurs Gate 3 guide, walkthrough

Last update: 28 June 2023

This chapter of the Baldurs Gate 3 game guide describes a ready Warlock build. We suggest which race works best as a Warlock, how to best spend ability points, what equipment and spells to choose, and what skills to select.

Warlock is one of the most powerful characters available in Baldurs Gate 3. His main advantages are the ability to deal significant damage to a single target and/or a larger group of opponents, as well as the extraordinary ability to conduct conversations due to his/her highly developed charisma and skills of persuasion, deception, and intimidation. In the presented Ranger build, we focus on The Fiend specialization (subclass), because we believe that this playstyle produces the best results.

• Race
• Background
• Specialization (Subclass)
• Cantrips
• Spells
• Skills
• Abilities
• Equipment
• Eldritch Invocations
• Pact of the Chain
• Misty Step - an essential spell
• Upgrading abilities
• General tips

Race

When choosing the race for the Warlock class, it is definitely worth choosing a Half-Elf. It won't matter what sub-race you choose, but we suggest that High Half-Elves can use an extra cantrip, while Wood Half-Elves are proficient at sneaking - choose the option that best suits your playstyle. Below is a list of bonuses your character will receive.

1. 2 to Charisma: Warlock's main ability;
2. Increase trait value: you can assign an additional 2 trait points, but 1 point per each trait. It's best to opt for 1 to Dexterity and 1 to Constitution or Intelligence;
3. Fey Ancestry: the hero will have an advantage during saving throws against charms, and the magic can't put them to sleep;
4. Base race speed: the distance you can travel in each round is 9 metres;
5. Darkvision: the hero can see in the dark within a radius of 12 meters.

Background

Choosing the right origin for a Warlock will not be easy, as it is worth avoiding the one in which the hero immediately becomes proficient in Deception and Persuasion, because he or she will obtain them after reaching experience level 2 through the passive Eldritch Invocation - Beguiling Influence. For this reason, you can choose whichever background you want, but it's worth considering options related to Iintelligence or Dexterity.

1. Sage: proficiency in Arcana (Intelligence) and History (Intelligence);
2. Urhcin: proficiency in Stealth and Slight of Hand.

Specialization (Subclass)

As one of the character classes available in Baldurs Gate 3, Warlock can choose his specialization (subclass) as early as during the character creation. The proposed build focuses on The Fiend subclass as it provides the Warlock with Dark One's Blessing.

1. Dark One's Blessing: when you deplete a hostile creature's health bar, your patron's gift grants you health points equal to the Charisma modifier's level of character experience.

Cantrips

By creating a Warlock-class character in Baldur's Gate 3, you will be able to choose 2 cantrips that your character will be able to use. When reviewing the list of available spells, we particularly recommend Eldritch Blast as Warlock's main attack, as well as the Friends skill - useful during dialogues.

	Eldritch Blast Effect: summon an energy ray that will cause 1D10 Force damage. Range: 18 meters.
	Friends Effect: enchant a non-hostile creature to gain advantage on Charisma checks against it. Range: 9 meters. Concentration: required

Spells

Warlock can also learn 2 spells he/she will be able to use. We particularly recommend Hex as a spell to increase the damage of Eldritch Blast and Command (Halt) as a useful control spell.

Hex Effect: curse a creature to cause an additional 1d6 Necrotic damage with each attack ending in a hit. The target also has difficulties with passing skillchecks for an ability of your choice. Range: 18 meters. Concentration: required Additional information: Hex is an extra action so it can be used before casting the Eldritch Blast spell to deal much more damage to the target on the first strike.

Command Halt Effect: order the creature to stop, preventing it from moving and taking action. Range: 18 meters.

Skills

When choosing a skill for your Warlock, you should choose Intimidation as an skill closely related to Charisma. Don't choose Deception and Persuasion, as your hero will receive them once you have unlocked experience level 2 and choose the Beguiling Influence passive ability.

Depending on the background you choose, opt for any of the following options:

1. Intimidation: a skill associated with Charisma;
2. Investigation: a skill associated with Intelligence;
3. Nature: a skill associated with Intelligence;
4. Religion: a skill associated with Intelligence;
5. Arcana: a skill associated with Intelligence;
6. Stealth: a skill associated with Dexterity.

Abilities

When developing Warlock's abilities, one must first focus on Charisma as the ability responsible for Spellcasting. It's worth spending points on Constitution, Dexterity, and Intelligence.

We propose to assign Warlock's ability points as follows:

1. Charisma: 16 points;
2. Constitution: 14 points;
3. Dexterity: 14 points;
4. Intelligence: 14 points;
5. Wisdom: 10 points;
6. Strength: 8 points - a trait not useful to Warlocks.

Equipment

Warlocks rely on their spells to deal damage to opponents in every possible situation. Situations in which your hero will use a melee weapon will be really rare, so it doesn't matter what weapon you use to eventually strike an opponent within range of the attack. Your Warlock should wear light armor, which provides a Dexterity bonus.

Eldritch Invocations

Once you have reached experience level 2, you will be able to choose two of the nine passive abilities that will give your hero specific bonuses and increase his or her fighting abilities. We particularly recommend Agonizing Blast and Beguiling Influence.

1. Agonizing Blast: add your charisma modifier to the damage when casting the Eldritch Blast spell ;
2. Beguiling Influence: you gain proficiency in Deception and Persuasion; Both skills are associated with Charisma.

Pact of the Chain

After unlocking experience level 3, your hero will receive an additional ability called Pact of the Chain.

1. Pact of the Chain: you earn the loyalty of a familiar, a fey spirit that takes on a form of your choice - it can be an animal, an imp, or a quasit.

Misty Step - an essential spell

Once you have reached experience Level 3, you will be able to select another spell for your Warlock's spellbook. You will have up to 16 level 2 spells to choose from (both defensive and offensive) but we recommend choosing Misty Step.

Misty Step Effect: your hero is surrounded by a black mist and teleported to a vacant spot in his field of vision. Range: 18 meters. Additional information: this spell is an extra action so you can use it to quickly teleport your hero to a place that will grant him/ger the High Ground advantage over your opponent and allow him/her to immediately cast an attack spell - Eldritch Blast.

Upgrading abilities

After reaching experience level 4, you will be able to improve your Ranger's abilities by spending additional 2 points on chosen abilities. This is the best time to upgrade Charisma to 18 points. This will enhance Warlock's power, but also his skills like Persuasion, Intimidation, and Deception.

General tips

Before you move on to the Warlock gameplay in Baldurs Gate 3, you should know a few key tips that will bring you even closer to this class and significantly affect your hero's effectiveness during combat.

1. High Ground advantage: if possible, always try to take a position above your opponent before starting a fight (on a hill, roof, stairs, balcony, etc.), to gain the High Ground advantage. If necessary, do not hesitate to use the Misty Step spell;
2. Hex: when fighting a stronger opponent, remember to first use Hex (extra action) and then use the attack spell. With this solution, the opponent will receive an additional 1d6 Necrotic damage after each attack ended with a hit and will be eliminated more quickly;
3. Spells: The Sorcerer has only two spell slots, but they renew after a short rest;
4. Dialogues: due to his/her very high Charisma level and proficiency in Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation skills, Warlock is ideally suited to having conversations with encountered beings.