Eldritch Blast. That is the name of the spell that serves to identify the very existence of the Warlock class in Dungeons and Dragons and, by extension, Baldur’s Gate 3. However, despite their identity revolving around thepowerful Cantrip, Warlocks can be built in many ways that work with and without it. The build I present to you is meant to serve as a versatile, jack-of-all-trades role in a party.
Best Warlock Build in BG3
Warlocks are a versatile class by nature, and this build is one that takes full advantage of that, abusing their unique ability to form Pacts with their martial weapons. With it, you’ll be a frontlining off-tank with the ability to fire off powerful Eldritch Blasts, and Fireballs should the need arise. Let’s jump straight into it.
Best Stats and Race for Warlock in BG3
Due toPact of the Blade’sability to allow for melee scaling with Charisma,Charismais your single most important stat, followed byConstitution. As a frontliner, you’ll need a very healthy amount of Armor Class (AC), but we won’t use the Dexterity stat for that. Instead, you’ll be wearing heavy armor for this build because it provides the highest possible AC in the game without additional stat investment.
Because you’ll be swinging blades in melee and blasting foes with magic at a range, I foundDrowto be one of the best races for the Warlock class. The Drow race gives you access toSuperior Darkvisionfor free, which allows you to counter poorly illuminated areas that may prevent you from casting at a distance. They also, like the other elf races, have access toFey Ancestry,a strong counter to Charm effects, and total immunity to the Sleep status.
Related:Baldur’s Gate 3 Bard Build Guide – Best Stats and Subclass
Best Subclass for Warlock Baldur’s Gate 3
With this build, you’ll want to abuse the bonuses gained fromThe Fiendsubclass. The Fiend’s core featureDark One’s Blessinglets you get temporary life points when you score a killing blow on an enemy. This is very strong for a frontline that is meant to be taking blows in the first place. Dark One’s Blessing takes effect no matter how you kill a target; even throwing enemies to their doom will cause it to activate.
The other two Warlock subclasses, The Great Old One and The Archfey are too focused on singular benefits to make use of this in this build. However, if you do have a way to force a Critical Hit through, then the Great Old One’s Mortal Reminder becomes a viable option for this build. Otherwise, I recommend sticking with The Fiend due to consistency.
Best Skills for Warlock in Baldur’s Gate 3
As for the Skills you should take, I recommendArcana, Perception, and Intimidationdue to the Warlock’s Charisma stat being the focus. These three skills will also help you during conversations, making them doubly worth taking.
Related:Baldur’s Gate 3: Patch Notes (August 2023)
Best Multiclass for Warlock in Baldur’s Gate 3
For this build, you’ll be takingone level in Fighter and one level in Sorcerer(Storm Sorcery)totake advantageof their early-level bonuses and proficiencies. Fighter is taken so that you can choose Fighting Stance:Defensefor the additional AC bonus while wearing armor. One level of Stormy Sorcery is taken to take advantage ofTempestuous Magic, which allows you toFlyas a Bonus Action if you cast alevel one spell or higher. This is strictly for mobility and repositioning, but more on this shortly.
Best Warlock Features, Feats, and Spells - Baldur’s Gate 3
The end result of the multi-classing I mentioned leaves you as a Level 5 Warlock, Level 1 Sorcerer, Level 1 Fighter.
TheWarlock Invocationsused in my build are meant to support a frontlining, support playstyle with Eldritch Blast. Your most powerful attacks will come from your melee weapons. Fiendish Vigour allows you to cast the level one Necromancy spell, False Life, on yourself for free. This is important because by casting False Life, you meet the requirements to invoke the bonus action, Fly, fromTempestouous Magic. This means that you canfly at any time you desire, at no consumable cost.
The Feat, Dual Wielder, is taken primarily so that a strong main-hand weapon is used with theSpellsparkerstaff to take advantage of Eldritch Blast’s double cast to quickly gainLightning Chargesfrom its effect. If you do not have the Spellsparker, then I recommend pairing your main hand weapon with a strong off-hand that has secondary damage beyond Physical and combining your melee assaults with theHexWarlock spell.
For more build guides and helpful information relating to Baldur’s Gate 3, check outBaldur’s Gate 3 Rogue Build Guide – Best Stats and Subclasses
