Of all the full spellcasters (and yes, Warlock goes in that group, we get 9th level spells), I believe the Warlock is the one that is most dependent on their subclass. Without interesting things from the subclass, the Warlock boils down to Eldritch Blast and a few leveled spells per short rest, which just isn’t as exciting as I would hope.

Of all the full spellcasters (and yes, Warlock goes in that group, we get 9th level spells), I believe the Warlock is the one that is most dependent on their subclass. Without interesting things from the subclass, the Warlock boils down to Eldritch Blast and a few leveled spells per short rest, which just isn’t as exciting as I would hope.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: the Undying Otherworldly Patron is going to be nearly unusable at the majority of tables. When your core 1st level feature is Spare the Dying, advantage on saves against diseases, and an undead exclusive Sanctuary effect, you’re already looking at a niche that more or less requires you to regularly face undead to justify taking it.

Do you love creepy crypts and spooky scary skeletons? Do you have grand plans for fostering your very own zombie apocalypse? If so, the Undead patron might be the right fit for you. 

Have you ever wanted to work for your sword? Functionally, that’s what Hexblades are; servants to a weird shadow entity manifesting as some kind of magic weapon. Alternatively, have you tried the Pact of the Blade and found it wildly underwhelming? If either is true, the Hexblade Otherworldly Patron is here for you. 

For the Lovecraftian horror fans out there, this one’s for you. Great Old One warlocks are dedicated to cosmic horror and the acknowledgement of just how small we are in the cosmically epic universe around us full of incomprehensible scope and insanity. 

Whether you saw Aladdin once and knew you needed your own Robin Williams blue super-powered buddy or read the lore around the genies of other worlds and decided to place your lot in with the creatures that can literally grant wishes, warlocks seeking the Genie patron get a robust kit of tools to play around with that makes them rewarding options for almost any table.

If the classic “deal with the devil” warlock fantasy appeals to you, working with a demonstrably evil monster for ultimate power, the Fiend patron offers you that fantasy alongside all the hellish fire magics you could ask for. 

Fathomless warlocks get an iconic tentacle to slap people around with that will largely identify them; beyond that, they get some decent damaging and summoning magic, an incredible re-flavor of a busted 5th level spell, and a robust kit built around the tentacle to empower you in and out of water.

Sometimes you envision an archon or solar, a majestic, radiant justicar of goodness and think “why ask gods for powers when these creatures are so freaking cool on their own?” If so, the Celestial warlock is for you.

So you want to have an Archfey Otherworldly Patron; the appeal of a lavish floral faerie overlord is certainly there, as is equally the appeal of a cackling curse slinging witch, warts and all. As far as Otherworldly Patrons go, the Archfey features and spells work best on characters who want to put themselves in danger and have an escape plan.

Pact of the Tome is the Pact Boon for warlocks who want to feel more like a traditional spellcaster. Mechanically, on its own, you get three bonus cantrips of your choice agnostic of class list, giving you curated control over designing your own spell repertoire to fit your theme and patron perfectly.

Pact of the Talisman leans heavily on its invocations, but with them, can be weaponized in a wide array of builds that are super sweet. If you like long term planning for your characters, and want some interesting choices to make encounter to encounter, Pact of the Talisman offers that.

Pact of the Chain takes an already broken spell and turns it up further past 10 from 11 to 12. We’re way over the bar for “fair” abilities, especially at 3rd level. These familiars can warp how your DM navigates the world, especially given how slippery they are.

All in all, if you’re picking Pact of the Blade, it probably should be with the expectation of taking Thirsting Blade at 5th level, and possibly Lifedrinker down the road. If you don’t want to be consistently making weapon attacks round after round, you do not want Pact of the Blade.

Warlock can deliver on those fantasies and more, all while letting you build your own character that can be a front line tank slashing people to death with a greatsword or a backline support that debilitates enemies and keeps allies alive. 

Witch Sight detects a subset of two specific kinds of magic: illusions and transmutation effects hiding creatures. That’s all it does. You see through illusions concealing specifically creatures, meaning spells like Hallucinatory Terrain still function perfectly fine against you, and shape changing magic like Alter Self and Polymorph.

Whispers of the Grave takes a spell that probably is a bit too good to be a ritual spell and lets warlocks treat it like one. It's perfect. It is exactly how I want warlocks to engage the world. They’re uncanny, spooky, committed to some otherworldly patron that gives them macabre tools to unearth unnatural information that unsettles others.

Voice of the Chain Master gives you a long range familiar espionage tool that lets you keep any distance away from it while still getting intel. It takes the familiar scout tool and opens it up to work in any sized region, so long as it stays alive.

Visions of Distant Realms may be the best way to get a character to feel like the fall seer. Arcane Eye, while unremarkable for the spell slot, becomes far more interesting when it's free. This is exactly what Visions of Distant Realms gives you: an at will sensor you can place and move about to scout around you.