D&D Warlock Level Up – a step by step guide (5e)

I always found the level-up process to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding nuances of any RPG, including Dungeons & Dragons.

It’s the feeling of seeing your character finally getting stronger after you spent so many hours slaying ferocious beasts, exploring dark dungeons, making new acquaintances, escaping from situations you couldn’t handle at your previous level, opening treasure chests filled with coins and jewels (and sometimes empty ones), and so on, that makes this part of the game so exciting.

When it comes to progress through levels in D&D there are quite a few things to remember and all the information you need are scattered on different pages of the Player’s Handbook (and sometimes on other manuals).

I’m pretty sure most of the players have already memorized all the pages they need to look at to level up their alter-ego, but for all the new players, for my friends that constantly ask me what to do when they have to level up and even for veterans who just want a tidy recap, I thought it would be handy to have a step by step guide to follow that will hopefully make the whole level-up process faster.

In this article, I’ll dive deep into the D&D Warlock level up process, and in particular what new abilities and feats you’d unlock, as well as any change of the character’s stats.

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D&D Warlock Level Up Advancement Table

Here’s a quick overview of the Warlock level up advancement if you want to get a sneak peek or if you need a quick recap.

Keep scrolling for a deeper description of each level.

1st Level – Warlock Starting Features & Abilities

Hit Points

• Basic Hit Points: 8 + Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Hit Dice: 1d8.

Proficiencies

• Armour: Light armour.
• Weapons: Simple weapons.
• Tools: None.
• Proficiency bonus: +2.
• Saving Throws: Wisdom (WIS) and Charisma (CHA).
• Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, History, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, and Religion.

Class Features

• Otherworldly Patron
  At level 1 you can choose the Otherworldly Patron (subclass) with whom you have made a pact among the Archfey, the Fiend, the Great Old One, the Celestial, the Fathomless, the Genie, the Hexblade, the Undead and the Undying.
• Pact Magic
  Thanks to your Patron and your arcane research you can learn and cast spells. At level 1 you have the following:
  Cantrips known: 2.
  Spells known: 2.
  Spell slots: 1 (1st level).

2nd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1.
• Invocations known: 2.
• Eldritch Invocations
  You gain two eldritch invocations of your choice among the ones listed in the manual.

3rd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Slot level: spells are upgraded from 1st level to 2nd level.
• Pact Boon
  Your Patron bestows you a gift and so you can choose one of the following features: Pact of the Chain, Pact of the Blade, Pact of the Tome and the Pact of the Talisman.

4th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

5th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Slot level: spells are upgraded from 2nd level to 3rd level.
• Invocations known: +1.

6th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• New Otherworldly Patron subclass feature: this depends on which Otherworldly Patron you have chosen for your Warlock.

7th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Slot level: spells are upgraded from 3rd level to 4th level.
• Invocations known: +1.

8th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

9th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Slot level: spells are upgraded from 4th level to 5th level.
• Invocations known: +1.

10th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• New Otherworldly Patron subclass feature: this depends on which Otherworldly Patron you have chosen for your Warlock.

11th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1.
• Mystic Arcanum (6th level)
  Your Patron bestows you a magical secret called Arcanum. You can choose a 6th-level spell from the Warlock spell list and you can cast it once every long rest without expending a spell slot.

12th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Invocations known: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

13th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Mystic Arcanum (7th level)
  Your Patron bestows you a magical secret called Arcanum. You can choose a 7th-level spell from the Warlock spell list and you can cast it once every long rest without expending a spell slot.

14th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• New Otherworldly Patron subclass feature: this depends on which Otherworldly Patron you have chosen for your Warlock.

15th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Invocations knows: +1.
• Mystic Arcanum (8th level)
  Your Patron bestows you a magical secret called Arcanum. You can choose a 8th-level spell from the Warlock spell list and you can cast it once every long rest without expending a spell slot.

16th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

17th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1.
• Mystic Arcanum (9th level)
  Your Patron bestows you a magical secret called Arcanum. You can choose a 9th-level spell from the Warlock spell list and you can cast it once every long rest without expending a spell slot.

18th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Invocations knows: +1.

19th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spells known: +1.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

20th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Eldritch Master
  You can regain the expended spell slots from your Pact Magic feature by entreating your Patron for 1 minute. You must finish a long rest before you can use this skill again.