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Discover the best Warlock subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 ranked from best to worst, including the upcoming Hexblade subclass.
The Warlock is a unique character class as it uses a Cantrip for its primary damage source and has light armour proficiency. They are simplistic spellcasters and play like a hybrid, based on the subclass and choices during the leveling process. What players enjoy about the Warlock is their flexibility in weapons, armour, spells, and gameplay. Unlike a Wizard or Sorcerer, your Warlock can do well in various gameplay types and builds. Commonly, people play the Sorclock, a hybrid, using both Warlock and Sorcerer. In this guide, we will be ranking all the available Warlock subclasses from best to worst, and tell you about how the upcoming Hexblade subclass will play out for Warlock in Baldur’s Gate 3.
What are Warlock subclasses in BG3? Explained
Warlock currently has three subclasses, The Fiend, The Great Old One (Goolock), and The Archfey, Each subclass grants access to new features and expanded spells during level progress, allowing players to experience new playstyle with Warlock and choose a certain playstyle for their build.
Here are all Warlock subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- The Archfey: Grants Warlock access to spells and abilities that manipulate emotions, charm enemies, and harness the power of nature. Great for mobility and stealth.
- The Fiend: A powerful ranged attacker that deals fire damage and extra temporary hit points whenever they kill an enemy. Moreover, gain health on kills based on Charisma.
- The Great Old One: A versatile spellcaster that can deal both psychic and necrotic damage. Moreover, landing a critical hit can frighten enemies and immobilize them in place.
- Hexblade: curse enemies and raise spirits from their corpses for the next set of turns launching in BG3 Patch 8.
Below, we have ranked the Warlock Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 from the best to worst order. Each corresponding section explains the role of the subclass, its progression, and all expanded spells.
Best Warlock Subclasses in BG3, Ranked
1. The Fiend
The Fiend is the best subclass for the Warlock because it’s granted the special ability Dark One’s Blessing which gives them temporary health upon killing an enemy. Every class needs survivability, and the Fiend Warlock gets this by being aggressive and doing damage. With this subclass providing you with health after every elimination, its ability to deal high fire damage to enemies is what makes it the best. Moreover, if you are struggling against a certain damage type, the Fiendish Resilience feature allows you to become resistant to it, which is great for survivability.
The Fiend subclass of Warlock progression is as follows.
- Dark One’s Blessing (Level 1): When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, this gift from your patron grants you Charisma Modifier + Level hit points.
- Dark One’s Own Luck (Level 6): Call on your patron to change your fate and add a 1d10 to an Ability Check once per Short Rest.
- Fiendish Resilience (Level 10): Choose a damage type and become resistant to it. You can pick a new damage type for each Short Rest.
While leveling up, you will get access to a list of expanded spells unique to The Fiend. However, using these spells will require you to equip them at the cost of a spell slot.
The Fiend subclass of Warlock expanded spells are as follows.
- Burning Hands (Level 1): Lets you shoot a flaming cone and deal 3d6 Fire damage to enemies.
- Command (Level 1): Allows you to cast a spell on the target to flee, move closer, freeze, drop to the ground, or drop their weapon.
- Blindness (Level 3): This spell allows you to decrease the target’s sight, making them miss more often. Moreover, attacking the blind targets will grant an Advantage, and the blind target will always attack with a Disadvantage.
- Scorching Ray (Level 3): Lets you shoot 3 rays of fire either on a single target or one each on multiple targets. Connecting the ray of fire deals 2d6 Fire damage to the targets.
- Fireball (Level 5): Shoot a bright flame at the target that explodes on contact and deals 8d6 Fire damage in the explosion radius.
- Stinking Cloud (Level 5): This spell allows you to create a poisonous cloud that prevents enemies from taking Action.
- Wall of Fire (Level 7): Create a long burning barrier to deal Fire damage and apply the Burning effect on the targets. It deals 5d8 damage initially and any target inflicted with the Burning status takes 1d4 damage every turn.
- Fire Shield (Level 7): Shield yourself with luminous energy, gaining resistance against Fire and Cold damage, and retaliate against melee attacks.
- Cone of Cold (Level 9): Spread a flurry of frost to turn the air icy and drop snow crystals that deal 8d8 Cold damage to the targets.
- Flame Strike (Level 9): Make a pillar of divine at a chosen location to deal 5d6 Fire damage and 5d6 Radiant damage.
2. The Great Old One (Goolock)
The Great Old One is a great subclass for the Warlock as it grants Mortal Reminder, a special ability that gives them a critical hit against the creature. It makes the nearby targets frightened until the end of their next turn. Moreover, this subclass allows players to deal psychic damage which is very rarely resisted. However, overall this class heavily relies on RNG to activate the passive bonuses of frightened and immobilizing. If your build focuses on critical, then this is the subclass for you.
The Great Old One subclass of Warlock progression is as follows.
- Mortal Reminder (Level 1): When you land a Critical Hit against a creature, that creature and any nearby enemies must succeed a Wisdom Saving Throw or become Frightened until the end of their next turn.
- Entropic Ward Passive (Level 6): As a reaction, you can impose a Disadvantage on an Attack Roll against you. If the attack misses, you gain an Advantage on your next attack roll against your attacker for 1 turn.
- Thought Shield: Psychic Resistance (Level 10): An elder brain shields your brain. You gain Resistance to damage psychic damage.
- Thought Shield: Psychic Reflection (Level 10): Your patron doesn’t appreciate attempts to attack your mind. When you take Psychic damage, your attacker takes the same damage.
While leveling up, you will get access to a list of expanded spells unique to The Great Old One. However, using these spells will require you to equip them at the cost of a spell slot.
The Great Old One subclass of Warlock expanded spells are as follows.
- Dissonant Whispers (Level 1): Deals 2d6 psychic damage and whispers a discordant melody to a creature and Frighten it.
- Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (Level 1): Inflict a creature with fits of laughter, leaving it Prone without the ability to get up. Requires concentration.
- Detect Thoughts (Level 3): Focus your mind to read the thoughts of certain creatures while talking to them.
- Phantasmal Force (Level 3): Deals 1d6 Psychic damage and Deals Damage to a creature each turn requiring concentration. The type of damage changes to the last type the creature suffered.
- Bestow Curse (Level 5): Curse a creature with your touch. The curse either bestows Disadvantage on checks and Saving Throws or Attack Rolls, lets you deal additional damage to the target, or robs it of its actions.
- Slow (Level 5): Alter time to Slow up to 6 enemies. Movement Speed is halved. Armour Class is reduced by 2. Dexterity Saving Throws is reduced by 2. Cannot take Reactions. Can only take an Action or a Bonus Action (not both). Cannot make more than one attack per turn. Spell cast might be delayed for a turn.
- Dominate Beast (Level 7): Make a beast fight alongside you. Every time the beast takes damage, it makes a Wisdom Saving Throw against your domination.
- Evard’s Black Tentacles (Level 7): Tentacles sprout from the ground, turning the area into difficult terrain, attacking and Smothering creatures within.
- Dominate Person (Level 9): Make a humanoid fight alongside you. Every time the creature takes damage, it makes a Wisdom Saving Throw against your domination.
- Telekinesis (Level 9): Throw a creature or object up to 18m with a thought. Once per turn, you can use Telekinesis again without expending a spell slot.
3. The Archfey
The Archfey is a good subclass for the Warlock as it grants Fey Presence, a special ability that allows you to Charm or Frighten nearby enemies. As the Warlock uses Charisma as their primary ability score, it is the best subclass for someone who is going for the charm build. Moreover, it is probably the best subclass for survivability as it can allow you to prevent enemies from attacking you. In addition to the charming/frightening bonus, this subclass also provides invisibility with the Misty Escape, which is a great feature for survivability.
The Archfey subclass of Warlock progression is as follows.
- Fey Presence (Level 1): Charms or Frightens nearby enemies.
- Misty Escape (Level 6): Upon taking damage, become Invisible. On your next turn, you can cast Misty Step, though this will break your invisibility.
- Beguiling Defences (Level 10): You are immune to being Charmed.
While leveling up, you will get access to a list of expanded spells unique to The Archfey. However, using these spells will require you to equip them at the cost of a spell slot.
The Archfey subclass of Warlock expanded spells are as follows.
- Faerie Fire (Level 1): Conjure a bright light to see the invisible enemies. The Attack rolls against the targets affected by the light will have an Advantage.
- Sleep (Level 1): Cast a spell to make a target fall into a deep slumber temporarily. However, the effect ends upon taking any damage.
- Calm Emotions (Level 3): Cast a spell to subdue intense emotions on the targets, making them neutral from hostile. However, during the duration of the spell, you cannot charm or frighten the target.
- Phantasmal Force (Level 3): Cast an illusion spell on a target’s mind to make them believe they are getting attacked by the last thing again. On every turn, it deals 1d6 damage and changes the damage type.
- Blink (Level 5): This spell allows you to travel to the Ethereal Plane, making you invisible and unharmable. However, this can only be done during combat by rolling 11 or higher at the end of your turn.
- Plant Growth (Level 5): Fill the ground with weeds that will affect the movement speed of any moving targets. However, if any fire damage takes place in the weed area, it will burn away the weed and the spell will end.
- Dominate Beast (Level 7): This spell allows you to charm a Beast to fight alongside you instead of against you. However, every time the Beast takes damage, it may break the control over the Beast with a successful Wisdom Saving Throw.
- Greater Invisibility (Level 7): An illusion spell that allows you to be invisible and have Advantages on attacks. All the attacks against it will have Disadvantages. However, you have to pass the Stealth Checks on every action like casting spells, attacking, or interacting with items to maintain the invisibility.
- Dominate Person (Level 9): This spell allows you to charm a humanoid target to fight alongside you instead of against you. However, every time the target takes damage, it may break the control over them with a successful Wisdom Saving Throw.
- Seeming (Level 9): Using this spell allows you to disguise up to 4 members of your party.
Patch 8 New Subclass – Hexblade
Hexblade is one of the most requested subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 and it is finally happening in Patch 8 for BG3.. The major playstyle for Hexblade is to curse enemies and raise spirits from their corpses for the next set of turns.
NOTE: The actual features of Hexblade and its expanded spells are unknown at this point. The explanation below is a general playstyle of a Hexblade Warlock.
Hexblade Warlocks make a pact with an entity from the Shadowfell that manifests in the form of magical weapons. Curse your enemies and force their souls to do your bidding. Slay any enemy that isn’t generally an element of nature, construct, giant blob, or already dead, and you’ll be able to raise their spirit from their corpse for ten turns. This new summon can deal necrotic damage and will rip away a chunk of your enemy’s soul to provide your Hexblade Warlock with healing.
FAQs about Warlock Subclasses in BG3
1. Question: How many Warlock subclasses are there in BG3?
Answer: Currently, there are three subclasses available for Warlock in BG3. It includes The Fiend, The Great Old One (Goolock), and The Archfey. Moreover, with the upcoming Patch 8 “early next year”, Warlock will receive a new subclass called Hexblade.
2. Question: Which is the strongest Warlock subclass in BG3?
Answer: The Fiend is the strongest Warlock subclass for now in Baldur’s Gate 3. A powerful ranged attacker that deals fire damage and extra temporary hit points whenever they kill an enemy. Moreover, gain health on kills based on Charisma. It is a great subclass to deal potential damage in your turns and also great for survivability.
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