Warlock Subclasses 5e | Ranked By 2023 (Guide) Archetypes Dnd 5th Edition

The Archefy, the Fiend, and the Great Old One are only 3 options, out of 9, from which the Warlock DnD 5e Class can make a pact. Furthermore, these pacts with otherworldly beings boost their combat skills by incorporating the magic of the deals. However, different pacts make a different warlock. That is, what dnd Warlock subclass you choose influences your character tremendously.

At the 1^st level only, you have to choose one option out of all DnD Warlock subclasses 5e, which then molds your spellcasting ability by bestowing pact magic. Moreover, you get additional d&d warlock archetypes 5e features at the 6^th, 10^th, and 14^th levels. Obviously, all these features and pact magic make it crucial to choose the best Warlock subclass out of all the 5e warlock archetypes, but what is the correct subclass? To answer this, let us study all 9 5e warlock subclasses dnd in detail.

What are all the 5E Warlock Subclasses DnD?

There is a total of 9 Warlock DnD 5E Subclasses/ D&D Warlock Archetypes 5e. And, this section aims to explain all of them.

The Archfey

1. Source: D&D Player’s Handbook
2. Advantage: The power to use Illusive, Deceptive, and Enchantment Spells.
3. Main Expertise: Alert, Fey touched
4. Use in the crew: Defense, Damage

They are the ones who make a pact with a lord or lady of fey. Like many other 5e warlock archetypes, their motivation is to achieve larger magical abilities for evil deeds.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell list, Fey Presence
6th	Misty Escape
10th	Beguiling Defences
14th	Darkvision Deliroum

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd 5e warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	faerie fire, sleep
2nd	calm emotions, phantasmal force
3rd	blink, plant growth
4th	dominate beast, greater invisibility
5th	dominate person, seeming

Fey Presence

Secondly, at the 1^st level, you get the ability to scare or charm any being residing in a 10-foot cube volume around you. However, the enemy can resist this by making a successful wisdom saving throw, and you use this feature once per rest.

Misty Escape

Now, when it reaches the 6th level, this dnd Warlock subclass 5e can escape any attack by becoming invisible and teleporting up to 60 feet away from the attacker. However, you can use this ability only once per rest.

Beguiling Defenses

This makes your defenses impeccable, no one can charm you now, and if someone tries to charm you, you can turn their charm on them. Furthermore, to avoid being charmed by their own magic, the enemy must make a successful Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 minute.

Dark Delirium

Finally, at the 14^th level, you can make a creature hallucinate of being in an imaginary realm, details of which you get to decide. 

The Celestial

• Source: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
• Advantage: The power to use Cleric Spells.
• Main Expertise: Alert, Resilient
• Use in the crew: Healing, Damage

As its name suggests, you get to make a pact with the enlightened beings of higher planes. They are one of those warlock subclasses 5e who impact not just your body but your mind as well. That is, your ultimate reason for doing anything is to illuminate the world with goodness.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell List, Bonus Cantrips, Healing Light
6th	Radiant Soul
10th	Celestial Resilience
14th	Searing Vengeance

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd 5e warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	cure wounds, guiding bolt
2nd	flaming sphere, lesser restoration
3rd	daylight, revivify
4th	guardian of faith, wall of fire
5th	flame strike, greater restoration

Bonus Cantrips

Secondly, at the 1^st level, you study light and scared flame cantrips without increasing the number of cantrips known.

Healing Light

Furthermore, at the 1^st level only, this d&d warlock subclass achieves the power to heal injuries using your celestial energy. And, this healing happens by using d6s dice, which are equal to Warlock + 1. However, there is a limit on its use in a single turn equal to your charisma modifier.

Radiant Soul

As indicated by the name, you gain mastery over radiant energy. You achieve protection against radiant damage and the ability to increase the damage of your radiant or fire attack by adding your charisma modifier.

Celestial Resilience

Now, when your character reaches the 10^th level, you unlock the feature of building temporary hit points after each rest. Moreover, you can also make 5 visible creatures to gain some temporary hit points. However, you achieve points = Your Charisma modifier + Your Warlock level, and other creatures achieve half of it. 

Searing Vengeance

Finally, at the 14^th level, you achieve the power to ditch death by sucking the radiant energy of other creatures. Consequently, you earn 50% of your maximum hit points, and other nearby creatures of your choice suffer radiant damage = 2d8 + your Charisma modifier.

The Fathomless

1. Source: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
2. Advantage: The ability to use water spells & power
3. Main Expertise: Alert, Spell Sniper
4. Use in the crew: Damage, Defense

You make a pact with the beasts of water, allowing you to use powers such as conjuring magical tentacles. Consequently, this makes them the best warlock subclass of all 5e warlock subclasses dnd for underwater combat.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell List, Tentacle of the Deeps, Gift of the Sea
6th	Oceanic Soul, Guardian Coil
10th	Grasping Tentacles
14th	Fathomless Plunge

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd warlock subclass, like all other 5e warlock subclasses dnd, gets additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	create or destroy water, thunderwave
2nd	gust of wind, silence
3rd	lightning bolt, sleet storm
4th	control water, summon elemental (water only)
5th	Bigby's hand (appears as a tentacle), cone of cold

Tentacles of the Deeps

Moreover, at the 1^st level, you gain the power to summon a magical tentacle to attack your enemies. On a successful hit, the enemy suffers a cold damage of 1d8m and a reduction of speed by 10 feet. Furthermore, at the 10^th d&d warlock level, the damage is 2d8.

Gift of the Sea

As indicated by the name, this allows you to breathe underwater and increases your swimming speed by 40 feet.

Oceanic Soul

Now, at this stage, you become a creature of oceans only. You achieve the ability to understand any speech underwater. Furthermore, you achieve protection against cold damage.

Guardian Coil

Moreover, at the 6^th level, you unlock the power to protect yourself or your ally with your tentacle. The damage is reduced by 1d8. Furthermore, the resistance increases to 2d8 at the 10^th level.

Grasping Tentacles

This allows you to add Evard’s black tentacles to your arsenal without increasing the number of spells known. Furthermore, you get to use it once without wasting a spell slot.

Fathomless Plunge

Last but not least, you get the ability to teleport yourself and 5 consenting creatures to a water body within a 1-mile range.

The Fiend

1. Source: D&D Player’s Handbook
2. Advantage: Better defense with an increase in your spell power
3. Main Expertise: Alert, Spell Sniper
4. Use in the crew: Damage

As the name suggests, your patron is a fiend from hell. Consequently, they also belong to the bad grade of warlock archetypes 5e, since all they want is to corrupt everything.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell List, Dark One's Blessing
6th	Dark One's Own Luck
10th	Fiendish Resilience
14th	Hurl Through Hell

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd 5e warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	burning hands, command
2nd	blindness/deafness, scorching ray
3rd	fireball, stinking cloud
4th	fire shield, wall of fire
5th	flame strike, hallow

Dark One’s Blessing

Secondly, at the 1^st level, you get temporary hit points = Warlock Level + Charisma Modifier whenever you make your enemy’s hit points 0.

Dark One’s Own Luck

The power to alter destiny. More precisely, the ability to add d10 to your ability check roll or saving throw. However, you can use this feature once per rest.

Fiendish Resilience

At the 10^th level, this D&D Warlock subclass grants you resistance against any one type of damage. However, silver weapons or magic weapons can penetrate this resistance.

Hurl Through Hell

Finally, when your character reaches the 14^th level, you get the ability to make a creature go through hell, which causes them 10d10 psychic damage. However, this ability can only be used once per rest.

The Genie

1. Source: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
2. Advantage: Best Expanded Spell-list
3. Main Expertise: Metamagic Adept
4. Use in the crew: Damage

This is a dead giveaway. They are the only one out of the 5e warlock archetypes who makes a pact with a genie. Furthermore, these genies are a rare type of genies, the noble genies.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell List, Genie’s Vessel
6th	Elemental Gift
10th	Sanctuary Vessel
14th	Limited Wish

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd 5e warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Genie Spells	Dao Spells	Djinni Spells	Efreeti Spells	Marid Spells
1st	detect evil and good	sanctuary	thunderwave	burning hands	fog cloud
2nd	phantasmal force	spike growth	gust of wind	scorching ray	blur
3rd	Create food and water	Meld into stone	wind wall	fireball	sleet storm
4th	phantasmal killer	stone shape	greater invisibility	fire shield	control water
5th	creation	wall of stone	seeming	flame strike	cone of cold
9th	wish	-	-	-	-

Genie’s Vessel

Secondly, at this stage, you achieve the genie’s power that you can utilize for a spellcasting focus, which happens through a genie’s vessel that can be used in many ways.

1. Bottled Respite: the ability to hide in your vessel.
2. Genie’s Wrath: an increment in your attack roll.

Elemental Gift

When your character reaches the 6^th level, you achieve protection against any damage type decided by your patron. Moreover, you gain the ability to hover with a flying speed of 30 feet, and this makes them the rare kind of 5e Warlock subclasses dnd who can fly.

Sanctuary Vessel

This feature allows you to increase your ability check by adding a proficiency bonus, given that the check is made to cast an adjuration spell.

Limited Wish

Finally, at the 14^th level, you get the ability to wish for any spell of level up to the 6^th level. However, this power can be used once per 1d4 long rests.

The Great Old One

1. Source: D&D Player’s Handbook
2. Advantage: A balanced arsenal of different types of deadly spells
3. Main Expertise: Resilient, Spell Sniper
4. Use in the crew: Damage, Defense

They are one of the few dnd warlock subclasses 5e who don’t have malice in their heart. Furthermore, they are even considered some sort of god by the ordinary people, but is it enough? For them to be the best warlock subclass.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell list, Awakened Mind
6th	Entropic Ward
10th	Thought Shield
14th	Create Thrall

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd 5e warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	dissonant whispers, Tasha's hideous laughter
2nd	detect thoughts, phantasmal force
3rd	clairvoyance, sending
4th	dominate beast, Evard’s black tentacles
5th	dominate person, telekinesis

Awakened Mind

Secondly, at the 1^st level, you achieve the ability to talk telepathically with a nearby creature (within 30 feet).

Entropic Ward

Now, when you reach the 6^th level, you gain the ability to make any failed attack on yourself into an increment to your attack against the enemy. Furthermore, you can also force a disadvantage on your enemy’s attack roll. However, you can only use it once per rest.

Thought Shield

As the name suggests, you get the resistance against telepathic mind-reading and other such psychic damages.

Create Thrall

Finally, at the 14^th level, this D&D Warlock subclass grants you the ability to charm/ control a disabled humanoid mind.

The Hexblade

1. Source: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
2. Advantage: The Power to use Melee Attacks
3. Main Expertise: Polearm Master, Fighting Initiate
4. Use in the crew: Damage, Defense

They are the user of Shadow weapons, and they are the best warlock subclass in the game. However, this reliance on the power of weapons also makes them a bit vulnerable.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell List, Hexblade's Curse, Hex Warrior
6th	Accursed Specter
10th	Armor of Hexes
14th	Master of Hexes

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd 5e warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	shield, wrathful smite
2nd	blur, branding smite
3rd	blink, elemental weapon
4th	phantasmal killer, staggering smite
5th	banishing smite, cone of cold

Hexblade’s Curse

Secondly, at the 1^st level only, you unlock a feature to cast an evil curse on the nearby enemy. Consequently, you achieve a number of benefits by putting this curse on the enemy.

1. Any attack roll made against the cursed enemy is increased by adding your proficiency bonus.
2. You get the ability to land a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 only.
3. You achieve hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your warlock level whenever the cursed enemy dies.

Hex Warrior

Additionally, you gain proficiency in martial weapons, shields, and medium armor at the 1^st level.

Accursed Specter

At the 6^th level, you unlock the ability to enslave the soul of a dead humanoid. Furthermore, you can control this slave with your verbal commands, which makes them only subclass out of 9 5e warlock archetypes for controlling puppets.

Armor of Hexes

This grants you the ability to render the attack of a cursed enemy useless. Consequently, this is done via rolling a d6 die, and on a roll of more than 3, you don’t suffer any damage.

Master of Hexes

Finally, at the 14^th level, you can spread your hex curse from a cursed creature to another nearby creature. However, the previously cursed creature dies in the process.

The Undead

1. Source: Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft
2. Advantage: A balanced arsenal of different types of deadly spells
3. Main Expertise: Crossbow Expert, Spell Sniper
4. Use in the crew: Damage

Here, your patron is an undead entity from the evil corners of this world. However, even though you will be one of those dnd warlock subclasses 5e that can’t die, you still won’t be the best warlock subclass.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell List, Form of Dread
6th	Grave Touch
10th	Necrotic Husk
14th	Spirit Projection

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this d&d warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	Bane, False Life
2nd	Blindness/Deafness, Phantasmal Force
3rd	Speak with Dead, Phantom Steed
4th	Death Ward, Greater Invisibility
5th	Antilife Shell, Cloudkill

Form of Dread

Additionally, at the 1^st level, you unlock the power to transform yourself into an aspect of your patron. This transformation bestows upon you several benefits for 1 minute.

1. You achieve a number equal to 1d10 + your warlock level as temporary hit points.
2. Protection against being frightened.
3. The power to frighten any creature by hitting with a successful attack.

Grave Touch

Now, at the 6^th level, your body and spirit start following the patron. That is, you no longer require to eat, breathe, or drink to sustain yourself.

Necrotic Husk

At this stage, your body is beaming with necrotic energy. That is, you have achieved some protection against any necrotic damage. Furthermore, in the Form of Dread state, you become entirely immune to these attacks.

Spirit Projection

Last but not least, at the 14^th level, you unlock the power to astral projection. That is, you can make your spirit leave your body. This has many benefits such as:

1. Some protection against piercing, bludgeoning and slashing damage.
2. You can cast conjuration or necromancy spells without uttering a single word.
3. You gain the ability to fly with speed = your walking speed.
4. The ability to harvest half the hit points lost by your enemy whenever you strike necromantic damage to them.

The Undying

1. Source: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
2. Advantage: Better Durability
3. Main Expertise: Alert
4. Use in the crew: Damage, Defense

Your patron is the immortal one, the undying. Consequently, you achieve this secret of everlasting life, and this of all the warlock archetypes 5e relinquish the need for any thirst for life.

Warlock Level	Feature
1st	Expanded Spell List, Among the Dead
6th	Defy Death
10th	Undying Nature
14th	Indestructible Life

Expanded Spell List

Firstly, this dnd 5e warlock subclass grants you additional spells to your warlock spell list.

Spell Level	Spells
1st	False Life, Ray of Sickness
2nd	Blindness/Deafness, Silence
3rd	Feign Death, Speak with Dead
4th	Aura of Life, Death Ward
5th	Contagion, Legend Lore

Among The Dead

Moreover, at the 1^st level only, you are bestowed upon with the ability to use Spare the Dying cantrip without increasing the number of cantrips known. And it is difficult for the undead to inflict damage to you.

Defy Death

Now, when your Warlock reaches the 6^th level, you achieve a power to build hit points = your Constitution modifier + 1d8, whenever you save yourself or even someone else from dying. However, this saving of life happens only with the spare the dying spell.

Undying Nature

This is where you start to resemble the undying, no need for food, water, or even sleep for surviving.

Indestructible Life

Finally, this is the last subclass feature that you gain, and you can now attach any broken part or limb of your body. Furthermore, you are also allowed to revive hit points = 1d8 + your warlock level as a bonus action.

What is the best DnD warlock subclass 5E?

Hexblade is the best warlock subclass out of all the 9 DnD 5e Warlock subclasses/ DnD 5e Warlock archetypes. However, we would like to point out it’s just our opinion on the topic, you are allowed to disagree. Furthermore, the Undying is the last in our list of DnD warlock subclasses 5e.

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