Dungeons & Dragons' warlocks are mysterious individuals who, more or less, sell themselves to a greater being to advance their power and knowledge of the arcane. Whether in a moment of desperation or while on the verge of something huge, these people reach beyond themselves towards powerful entities willing to grant them power in exchange for service. What that eventually entails varies, but it is all but guaranteed the warlock Patron will, one day, ask a price for the gifts they've granted.

Comparable to the relationship between a Cleric and their deity, the warlock serves in their patron's name. Otherworldly Patrons are rarely gods, however. Still, the powers they bestow range from impressive to astronomical, making them an envy to peers who don't understand how they are able to carry out such things in the field.

Updated on January 16, 2024 by Jennifer Melzer: This list has been updated to reflect CBR's most recent standards in formatting, as well as to include even more information about Dungeons and Dragons' warlock Patrons.

9 The Genie Otherwordly Patron Grants Small Wishes

Genie Patron Types & Features

Type

Element

Spell List

Dao

Earth

Sanctuary, Spike Growth, Meld Into Stone, Stone Shape, Wall of Stone

Djinni

Air

Thunderwave, Gust of Wind, Wind Wall, Greater Invisibility, Seeming

Efreeti

Fire

Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, Fire Ball, Fire Shield, Flame Strike

Marid

Water

Fog Cloud, Blur, Sleet Storm, Control Water, Cone of Cold

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Those who form a pact with the Noble Genie find themselves granted elemental abilities, but at a price that could come back to bite them later. Most genies who extend such a pact rival minor gods in power, and their arrogance makes them vindictive. They take great delight in wreaking havoc in the lives of those who seek to trap their kind in servitude. When they enter into a pact with a warlock seeking power, it is almost always to expand their own reach and power.

The power granted by a Genie Patron depends upon its elemental nature. Each of the four types of Genie offer different powers that reflect their element. In time, the Genie grants their warlock a number of boons that enhance characteristics and resistances similar to the Genie itself. As the warlock levels up, they have access to small wishes. Unfortunately, these warlocks don't actually gain access to the powerful Wish spell itself unless using the Genie Expanded Spells list added in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. One of the reasons the Genie Patron lands at the bottom of the list is because it is similar in nature to Circle of the Elements druid, without the potentially dangerous and damning pact.

8 The Archfey Patron Thrives On Madness

A Warlock being watched by their Archfey patron in DnD

Archfey Patron Boons

Level

Abilities

1

Fey Presence

6

Misty Escape

10

Beguiling Defenses

14

Dark Delirium

The Archfey Patron falls toward the backend of the list because their pacts are often whimsically terrifying and completely inscrutable. An Archfey rarely reveals their motivations or intentions, which fall anywhere between searching for ways to make mischief to priming their warlock for an ages' old revenge plot they've been itching to carry out for. Archfey Patrons lend their warlocks a fraction of their own power, like immunity to charm, the ability to charm and manipulate others and illusory magic that casts frightening presence or maddening aspects. Such effects leave targets nearly addled -- if they actually survive an encounter with the warlock. Archfey thrive on causing madness, which makes the warlocks who enter into pacts with them dangerous enemies to encounter.

7 Celestial Patrons Grant Warlocks Cleric-Like Abilities

DnD's Celestial Warlock Patron standing above a cloud-covered planet surrounded by stars

Level

Abilities

1

Expanded Spell List, Bonus Cantrips, Healing Light

6

Radiant Soul

10

Celestial Resilience

14

Searing Vengeance

Celestial Patrons are powerful beings of the Upper Planes, like solars, ki-rin, unicorns and empyreans. Entering into a pact with a Celestial grants the warlock a touch of the holy light that touches every corner of the multiverse. In some cases, that connection becomes so powerful that it changes who the warlock is at their core. Some become so bound to their Patrons that they find themselves driven to right wrongs, eliminate darkness and spare the innocent from harm.

Powers granted by Celestial Patrons tend be similar to clerics and paladins, providing access to spells like Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt and Greater Restoration. As they level up, Celestial warlocks get powerful boons like Celestial Radiance (earning temporary hit points after a short or long rest) and Searing Vengeance (granting resistance to death). Though it definitely puts a new spin on the role of the healer, its similarities to other healing builds lands it in the middle of the list.

6 The Hexblade Patron Hails From The Shadowfell

A Tiefling Hexblade warlock drawing a sword in DnD

Level

Abilities

1

Expanded Spell List, Hexblade's Curse, Hex Warrior

6

Accursed Specter

10

Armor of Hexes

14

Master of Hexes

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Melee combat isn't what people think of with D&D's Warlocks, but the Hexblade gains extra abilities from their Patron to help them in battle.

The Hexblade Patron is a mysterious entity from the Shadowfell, extending power that grants these warlocks abilities that rely heavily on the use of shadows. As the Hexblade warlock levels up, they gain access to powerful hexes and curses that wreak psychic damage on their enemies, learn to craft shadows into weapons and summon them to hand with a bonus action.

This otherworldly patron also provides intriguing spells designed to coincide with their shadow weapons, like Blink, Phantasmal Killer and Banishing Smite. Hexblade warlocks gain powerful features, like Accursed Spectre, which allows them to bind the soul of a slain enemy into their service until it is exterminated. While undeniably strong, other patrons still offer even more intriguing options.

5 DnD's Undead Patron Is Necromancy Based

A Skeleton spellcaster clutching a book in dungeon library

Level

Abilities

1

Expanded Spell List, Form of Dread

6

Grave Touched

10

Necrotic Husk

14

Spirit Projection

When choosing an Undead patron, there are a variety of undead entities one could choose from, like vampire Strahd Von Zarovich or the undead knight Lord Soth. They teach their warlocks the secrets of power in living death and offer cool features, like an expanded spell list to choose from, a manifestation of the warlock's patron that allows the player to transform for up to a minute and the ability to survive without eating, drinking, or breathing.

At level 14, these warlocks project their spirit, becoming untethered from their bodies. In this spirit form, they gain resistances to piercing, bludgeoning and slashing damage and gain a flying speed equal to their walking speed. When dealing necrotic damage, they can siphon life from their targets to replenish their HP, making them intimiditatingly powerful.

4 The Fiend Is A Dangerous Otherworldly Patron

Level

Abilities

1

Expanded Spell List, Dark One's Blessing

6

Dark One's Own Luck

10

Fiendish Resilience

14

Hurl Through Hell

Making a pact with a Fiend from the lower planes is a dangerous business because all fiends have evil intentions. A warlock character will struggle with this evil, especially if it's not their nature. Fiends seek only destruction and will destroy all in their path -- especially those who enter into pacts with them, which means there will be no rest for the wicked, even after death.

The Fiend Patron ranks on the higher end of the list because it's a delicate and exciting balance between the warlock's personal nature and their patron's power, which can provide opportunities for amazing character development and roleplaying. Obviously there were tendencies toward darkness that drove them to accept a pact from a Fiendish Patron, and fighting that corruption can become all-consuming the longer their pact remains. As this warlock levels up, they learn to draw life from those who die around, bolstering their HP. They can also call on their Fiendish Patron to turn their luck around when things don't go their way and can send foes straight to hell, resulting in non-fiend enemies taking 10d10 psychic damage upon their return to the mortal realms.

3 Undying Patrons Teach Warlocks To Cheat Death

DnD's Undying Warlock and Patron in a fiery battle to the death

Level

Abilities

1

Expanded Spell List, Among the Dead

6

Defy Death

10

Undying Nature

14

Indestructible Life

While the Undying Patron may sound similar to the Undead Patron, they are quite distinct from one another. These Undying Patrons were once mortal, so they understand the all-consuming lust for power, knowledge and everlasting life. Through their quest for immortality and power, they gained vast amounts of knowledge, and they're willing to pass it on -- for a price. Undying Patrons include beings like the lich god Vecna and Gilgeam the God of Unther.

It's natural for most players to wish their characters could never die, but taking it one step further to align oneself with an Undying Patron sets the tone for an altogether evil warlock in the making. Warlocks of the Undying Patron gain access to Spare the Dying so they can stop death in its tracks. Their ability to cheat their own death (as well as helping others do the same) grants them the opportunity to bounce back to life when they succeed on Death Saving Throws. As this warlock levels up, they no longer need to breathe, eat, sleep or hydrate to stay alive, though they do still require "rest" to diminish points of exhaustion. At level 14, they gain the Indestructible Life feature, which allows them to regain hit points to sustain them in battle and reattach severed body parts without the help of a Cleric.

2 DnD 5e's Fathomless Patron Offers the Air & Sea

Tentacled Fathomless Warlock Patron surrounding an electrified whirlpool

Level

Abilities

1

Expanded Spell List, Tentacle of the Deeps, Gift of the Sea

6

Oceanic Soul, Guardian Coil

10

Grasping Tentacles

14

Fathomless Plunge

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Whether shipwrecked or simply enamored by the ocean's depths, D&D Warlocks who make pacts with the Fathomless gain access to unique abilities.

Warlocks who reach out to those entities of the deep find themselves making pacts with creatures of the sea and the Elemental Plane of Air. Shipwrecked sailors on the verge of death may call upon these Patrons in hopes of rising above their level of power to control the very sea that tried to take their life. The Fathomless Patron grants warlocks the ability to Create or Destroy Water, Control Elements like wind, thunder, and lightning, and actually Control Water itself as they gain power.

One reason this ranks so high is these warlocks summon tentacles to attack their foes in battle. The higher their proficiency bonus, the more tentacles they can summon to wreak havoc on enemies. As the warlock grows stronger, so do the tentacles, eventually allowing them to cast Evard's Black Tentacles without expending a spell slot once per long rest. They can also transport themselves and up to five willing allies in a whirl of tentacles through a watery portal that resurfaces the party into another pool of water up to a mile away.

1 The Great Old One Is A Terrifying & Powerful Patron

Level

Abilities

1

Expanded Spell List, Awakened Mind

6

Entropic Ward

10

Thought Shield

14

Create Thrall

The highest ranking Otherworldly Patron is the Great Old One. Powerful entities like H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu, whose very essence and nature are unfamiliar to the reality people understand and rely on, reach out from places like the Far Realms, where nothing makes sense. Even their motivations for entering into pacts with mortals are incomprehensible, and they are often completely unaware of a mortal they hold a pact with. However, the secrets gained through this mysterious alliance are horrifyingly intense, leaving those who fall prey to their abilities mentally destroyed, their intact skulls little more than a vessel for a non-functional mind.

Spells like Telepathy, Clairvoyance, Detect Thoughts and Dominate Person allow these warlocks to reach into the minds of others. They can telepathically communicate with anyone, regardless of language boundaries. They can protect their own minds from invasion and eventually learn to create thralls who must do their bidding until another caster removes the curse from them -- or the warlock casts the spell on someone else.

A snapshot of the classic Dungeons and Dragons poster
Dungeons and Dragons

A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.

Franchise
Dungeons & Dragons
Original Release Date
January 26, 1974
Publisher
Wizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.
Designer
E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson
Player Count
4-8 Players Recommended
Age Recommendation
12+
Length per Game
3 hours +
Expansions
Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition