Unearthed Arcana 7: The Warlock
Exciting News! Wizard’s recently gave a sneak peak of the 2024 PHB, DMG, and MM. Check it out here for all the latest updates and insights!
Unearthed Arcana 7 has been released, and it contains a lot of subclass revisions. We see updated versions of many of these subclasses. I have already reviewed the Barbarian [LINK], Fighter [LINK], and Sorcerer [LINK] subclasses, which can be found at their respective classes. That just leaves two more to look at, Warlock and Wizard. Today I will dive into the former.
(Art: Magic the Gathering by Daarken)
Last time I dove into the Warlock Play Test [LINK], it seemed like the essence of this enigmatic class got diluted. Who wants a Warlock that's just another cookie-cutter spellcaster? Good news—this play test indicates a return to form, embracing the unique mechanics that make Warlocks a class apart. So buckle up as we dive into the Future of D&D.
Core Class
Class Progression table (Source: Play test 7)
Even before we go into the class, we have a change in the armor proficiency. Now Warlocks only have Light Armor proficiency, when previously they had both Light and Medium Armor proficiency. The previous play test wanted to offer more defensive support for Warlocks wanting to focus on melee, but it ultimately gave this class more defensive options with very little drawback. Reverting to just Light Armor feels like a step in the right direction.
At the 1st level, we see the return of Pact Magic that the previous play test had removed. The number of spell slots and their progression remains the same. Eldritch Invocations now start at 1st level instead of second level. As part of this change, they have integrated Pact Boons into Eldritch Invocations, with Warlocks now getting ten Innovations in total instead of eight.
Before I talk about level changes, I want to list all the invocation changes quickly.
Eldritch Mind, Investment of the Chain Master: Imported from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.
Eldritch Smite, Gift of the Depths: Imported from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.
Agonizing Blast, Eldritch Spear: Now offer cantrip flexibility; you can choose which Warlock cantrip benefits.
Ascendent Step, Master of Myriad Forms, Otherworldly Leap, Visions of Distant Realms, Whispers of the Grave: Level requirements have been lowered.
Beast Speech, Eldritch Sight, Eyes of the Rune Keeper: Removed because of redundancy; their associated spells are now rituals on the Warlock spell list.
Devil’s Sight: Works in Dim Light and in Darkness.
Fiendish Vigor: No longer requires a die roll for False Life; grants maximum Temporary Hit Points.
Gaze of Two Minds: Expanded to work on any willing creature and adjusted casting range of 60 feet.
Lessons of the First Ones: Can now be taken more than once.
Lifedrinker: Allows choice of Necrotic, Psychic, or Radiant damage and links healing to Hit Dice.
One with Shadows: Now allows casting Invisibility in Dim Light or Darkness.
Pact of the Blade, Pact of the Chain, Pact of the Tome: Now categorized as invocations.
Thirsting Blade: Returns with improvements at level 11.
A lot to unpack here, with mixed opinions all around. Returning to Pact Magic means we have a unique casting class again and return that mechanical flavor. This means that Warlocks will have only a few big spells in a day compared to the others. The Invocations and Pact Boon changes, however, feel like a mixed bag. Starting off at 1st level means that Warlocks become a bit more interesting earlier on, and continue to improve. This helps avoid having a character that feels bland early on.
The new increased progression takes the change to Pact Boons into account. A level 1 Warlock can choose to use their single Invocation on a Pact Boon, and mirror the other classes. Once they hit second level, that extra Invocation compensates for it. However, now this becomes a choice against the other Warlock options.
The increase in Invocation and the lowering of a lot of levels has made it easy for Warlocks to sculpt their character to their specific needs. They do not need a Pact Boon if they do not want one, and they can choose to let the benefits of Agonizing Blast and Eldritch Spear for any cantrip, not just Eldritch Blast.
But I think this new format presents a lot of problems. First, now a single level in Warlock means you can grab some cantrips and an Invocation like Agonizing Blast. The current Multi-classing Rules (which I suspect need updating) make it so any caster can easily grab this power boost and only lose a level of progression. I think this does nothing to address the inherent power that Agonizing Blast gives to the Warlock. This just improves all other Warlock cantrips to compensate. I think Agonizing Blast needs something limiting it, such as a level requirement.
At level 2, warlocks gain Magical Cunning, an ability similar to the Wizard’s Arcane Recovery. Once per Long Rest, a Warlock can spend a minute to gain half their spell slots. This gives Warlocks a new way to gain a few more uses of their spell slots out of combat.
This prevents a Warlock from being so Short Rest dependent. Now they can regain spell slots, which max out at two at level eleven (because of Rounding Up with Magical Cunning). This does not seem too overpowered at a glance, and will let Warlocks regain spells as long as they have a minute. I feel Warlock flavor should come from their single-use spells that come with Invocations and (later on) Mystic Arcanum, and would have rather seen a boost to this, but this option is more of a general purpose fix.
Contact Patron has moved to level 9, making it available two levels earlier. Otherwise, the ability remains the same. Seems like a solid choice.
At level 11, and again at levels 13, 15, and 17, Mystic Arcanum has returned, giving Warlocks the ability to learn and cast a spell of a certain level once per Long Rest. They can change one of these spells on gaining a new level of Warlock. This now means a Warlock gains access to level seven, eight, and nine spells.
The return of Mystic Arcanum brings the Warlock back to the flavor that I expect from it. These higher-level spells represent knowledge gifted by a patron that a Warlock can do a single time. I enjoy seeing this kind of mechanic for this class and honestly wish there were more.
At the very end, we have two changes. They removed Hex Master entirely at 18th level, meaning Hex will always cost a spell slot. At 20th level, Eldritch Master returns as the capstone. It upgrades Magical Cunning, now making it recover the full number of spell slots instead of half.
I think this is a solid capstone. Previously, this made sense, and was a strong feature. Since Magical Cunning now starts earlier, it feels appropriate to let it power up at this point.
Core Class Thoughts
Now that we have took a look at the entire Warlock class, I have some conflicting feelings. I am glad to see the return of Pact Magic, bringing the casting style that the Warlock had previously. I feel like this made them unique amongst the casters and played into the narrative of Warlock gained their powers much differently than all the others. The developers have improved this feature by Magical Cunning, which now takes the original capstone of the warlock class and spreads it out throughout the entire class. Now we end up with a Warlock that can do much more in a day, with the flexibility to create a unique character.
In my opinion, the Warlock still has a lot of unresolved issues. Eldritch Invocations at 1st level means that a new Warlock (or character multi-classing into Warlock) will have access to Agonizing Blast, giving them a powerful cantrip starting out. Moving Pact Boons to Invocations only means that they increased the total amount a character can take to compensate, which might make this powerful class a little unbalanced in power.
I'd have loved to see a class that lets Warlocks use powerful abilities but limits their frequency and comes at a cost. Perhaps Agonizing Blast could only be used a number of times a day instead of being unlimited. This could even recharge on a use of Magical Cunning or Short Rest, or both. Alternatively, Eldritch Blast could turn into a class feature instead of a cantrip. Then allow it a certain number of times per day and perhaps make it gain the Agonizing Blast feature upon level up. This could mean that a Warlock will have to rely on other cantrips, but could use a limited amount of Eldritch Blasts to really bring the hurt.
Subclass Review
Like many other classes here, we get a look at four subclasses. The four chosen, Archfey Patron, Celestial Patron, Fiend Patron, and Great Old One Patron, do not include any new options, but are a mix of 2014 options and ones added from later books.
Something to note here is that all instances of the Patron Spells feature now has all the listed spells prepared. This increases the known spells of all the subclasses.
Fey Dealings
Starting off, let’s look at the Archfey Patron. Making deals with the Fey has always been a fun and potentially deadly element of fantasy, and this option leans into their tricksy nature. Starting off, we see that Misty Step has been added to the Patron Spells. The Steps of the Fey feature allows for the Warlock to cast Misty Step without spending spell slots a number of times equal to their Charisma Modifier. They now have the choice of either giving temporary HP or potentially take disadvantage to attack rolls by a creature in the area they just left.
Both options feel very Fey. We have a healing option that feels in line with the restorative nature of some of the more good aligned Fey, as well as the mischievous taunting nature that the more chaotic will probably embrace.
At level 6, Misty Escape now further changes Misty Step. This now adds another set of options when using Misty Step. A Fey-lock can now turn Invisible until their next turn, or do some psychic damage.
These options are awesome and make Warlocks super mobile, especially with a Pact of the Blade Invocation.
At level 10, Beguiling Defenses now react to damage taken instead of being charmed, letting the Warlock take half damage and make the attacker potentially take the same amount (as psychic).
Finally, Bewitching Magic at 14th level allows for a Warlock to cast Misty Step as part of casting an Enchantment or Illusion spell without using a spell slot. This, on top of all the other upgrades to Misty Step, feels like a good last option for the subclass. It really leans into the mobility of the Archfey.
Final Fey Thoughts
A central theme focuses on the slippery nature of Fey, which I really dig. Leaning into Misty Step means that a character is going to use it as much as often, getting a lot of use out of it. They get a decent amount of fey inspired magic at their disposal, which will benefit the higher level characters who lean into those abilities.
The only complaint I had is that nothing visually changes the Warlock. In the current edition, some of the newer subclasses have the warlock change their appearance as part of their pact growing stronger. I would have loved to see some options at level 6 or 10.
Kind of Cleric
Next up, we've got the Celestial Patron Warlock, a personal favorite of mine. Hailing from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, this subclass has always been a twist on the classic cleric, borrowing heavily from divine themes.
Little has changed in this update—prepared spells are still readily available, much like in other subclasses. The levelten feature, Celestial Radiance, now synergizes with Magical Cunning, making it more enticing for Celestial Warlocks. They'll gain Temporary Hit Points when they use Magical Cunning and take a rest, extending this benefit to up to five allies.
It's a subclass that has always held its own, requiring only minor adjustments. The inclusion of Magical Cunning is a welcome change, offering yet another reason to opt for this celestial path.
Deals with the Devil
Swapping celestial light for infernal fire, let's delve into the Fiend Patron—a classic choice for Warlocks. Minor changes have been rolled out, like a tweak to Dark One's Blessing. Now at level three, this feature activates when you bring down an enemy within 10 feet, bestowing its effects upon you.
This makes sense, and will stop a Warlock from trying to steal the kills of the other players. It also makes them potentially gamble with their location in combat if they want to potentially get some Temporary Hit Points by benefiting from an enemy go down.
At level 6, Dark One’s Own Luck has had its use limited to once per turn. They could use the previous version based on their spell-casting modifier, which could be regained on a Long Rest. However, the rules did not specify the number of times they could use it per turn. This fixes that, which I assume was a minor oversight.
Finally, Hurl Through Hell now requires a Charisma saving throw against the user’s spell save DC. Upon a failure, the target takes 8d10 Psychic damage and is Incapacitated until the end of the user’s next turn, where they return to this plane. The damage has reduced as well, and a Warlock can expend a level 5 spell slot to use it again, although only once per turn.
There are several minor changes here. I believe Incapacitated was added to avoid any potential interactions, as well as ending Concentration on any spells the target had. The damage reduction makes sense as the cost of this.
Devilish Thoughts
Though the Fiend Patron hasn't seen a major overhaul since the last play test, we do see some subtle balancing. Features like Dark One’s Blessing have been adjusted to discourage Warlocks from merely picking off weakened foes.
Expect the Unexpected
And now, let's plunge into the surreal as we wrap up our subclass overview with the Great Old One—a subclass steeped in Lovecraftian dread. Diving in, one key update is an expansion to Awakened Mind, which now facilitates two-way communication for a duration based on your Warlock level.
Great Old One gets a ton of features early on, and it feels a bit overpowered. Specifically, Psychic Spells changing damaging Warlock spells to Psychic damage. That will overcome most resistances at that point with ease. I think there should be a limit to the amount of times this can be done, or it becomes available at a higher level. The rest of the options gained I like.
At level 6, Clairvoyant Combatant builds off of Awakened Mind. Now this can allow for a GOO-lock to use their telepathic bond offensively, potentially forcing attack rolls against you from that creature to be at Disadvantage, with you gaining Advantage against them. Warlocks can do once this per rest, or by spending a second level spell slot or higher.
I like this ability. It starts off as a utility spell and then becomes weaponized. The balance is nicely done as well, giving the option for more castings.
Eldritch Hex brings the Hex Master feature from the core Warlock back, allowing the Warlock to have Hex always prepared, as well as expanding the effects to saving throws and ability checks.
This covers one of the larger complaints of Hex. This option feels balanced because only specific subclasses can get it now.
Finally, Create Thrall has changed. Instead of targeting a Humanoid, now it uses the Summon Aberration spell. It no longer requires Concentration, taking one minute to cast if you do so. The Aberration gains a number of Temporary Hit Points equal to your Warlock level plus Charisma Modifier, and the first attack it makes against a creature that you have Hexed takes extra psychic damage.
This feels like it creates a much more usable last feature. Now you do not have to worry about having an incapacitated humanoid. It works well with the other features given by this subclass.
Non-Euclidean Thoughts
This subclass feels nicely balanced. The early ability to do Psychic damage feels like a potential way that the class could become overpowered. I do not know if a GOO-Lock using Agonizing Blast Eldritch Blast and causing Psychic damage would break the game too much, but it feels like it could. The rest feels solid.
Conclusion
And there we have it—our deep dive into the Warlock's newly minted abilities and quirks. It's a mixed bag for me. Thanks to the devs for turning back the clock and resurrecting the class's distinct flavor, notably its arcane weirdness and Magical Cunning. Fans of the Archfey Patron will love the changes, the subclass looks exciting to play.
However, some problems I have found seem to have been overlooked. We still see Eldritch Blast as being a powerful and limitless option, now reachable at 1st level. Pact Boons now happen as Invocations, and because of it could be accumulated with ease. I am not sure how much this will change what a character can accomplish, but I think they really miss out by not leaning into the weirdness and limited but powerful abilities we see in the rest of the class.
With the Warlock wrapped up, Wizards are on deck. So keep those arcane senses tingling for the next chapter in the Future of D&D!