Warlock Versatility Warlocks are able to pick their key ability for spellcasting from Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Where class abilities state to add or use your Charisma modifier, use your chosen key ability, instead. Similarly, a Warlock’s proficient saving throws are Wisdom and either Intelligence or Charisma. If the warlock’s patron is a quasi-deity, exarch, or other deity-linked extraplanar being, they may choose the divine spell list instead of the arcane spell list, or if their patron is an archfey, primordial power, or other nature- or primordial-linked extraplanar being, they may choose the primal spell list instead of the arcane spell list. Regardless of their base spell list, the warlock still has access to the warlock spell list, however the DM may rule some spells off-limits to a warlock based on their pact source, such as a fiendish patron who forbids spells from the divination school or a celestial patron who forbids spells from the school of necromancy. Added to House Rules in 2023.
Tag: warlock
Spell List Sanity Each character with the spellcasting class ability has access to a select group of spells based on that class. In vanilla D&D 5e, there was one list of spells for each class, though additional spells might become available from another class depending on the character’s chosen subclass or domain. The One D&D playtest introduced the idea of consolidated spell lists divided into the three magical source types: arcane, divine, and primal. These consolidated lists provided a greater variety of spells available to classes which previously had considerable limitations, but it wasn’t without its drawbacks, and WotC has indicated their intention to revert back to separate spell lists. This campaign has taken a hybrid approach: consolidated spell lists based on magical source, and then individual class lists for additional spells not available on the source list. Artificers, sorcerers, and wizards draw their spells from the arcane list; each class also has access to a smaller list of class-specific spells, some of which are even class-exclusive. Clerics and paladins draw their spells from the divine list; each class also has access to a smaller list of class-specific spells, some of which are class-exclusive. Druids and rangers draw their spells
Finite Energy Magic is unlimited, but your ability to channel it is. Spellcasters can initially cast a number of cantrips equal to their proficiency bonus plus their key ability modifier. Cantrip slots are restored after a short or long rest. At each even-numbered level, characters gain an additional cantrip slot in addition to any increases which come from an increased proficiency bonus and/or key ability modifier. For example, a level 10 wizard with an Intelligence score of 18 would be able to cast her cantrips up to 13 times without needing to take a short rest: 4 from her key ability modifier, 4 from her proficiency bonus, and 5 more from character levels. If creating a character at a level higher than 1st, your number of cantrips per rest is equal to your proficiency bonus plus key ability modifier plus half your character level (rounded down, as is always the case). Cantrip slot increases occur regardless of the class which is raised, meaning that the number of uses increases even for those characters who do not have a spellcasting class, such as an elven fighter who has only a single cantrip granted by his heritage. Added to House Rules in
Access to Omnipotence Clerics, druids, and paladins get their spells by communing with a being which is generally ancient and/or powerful enough to have Seen It All. Since these kinds of casters prepare their spells each day as part of this prayer or meditation, they have immediate access to all spells their deity or primordial patron knows of the highest level they can currently cast and lower, though the grantor of the spells may have preferences for certain spells (e.g. cleric domain spells). Since rangers and warlocks gain their spells through very similar connections, it makes no sense to restrict them to certain spells known. Instead, they meditate or pray each long rest to prepare spells the same way a paladin does: choose a number of spells equal to half their class level (rounded down) plus their key ability modifier and Intelligence modifier, if any. Therefore, a third-level fey-pact warlock with a key ability modifier of +3 and an Intelligence modifier of +1 would be able to prepare up to 5 spells per day from the combined primal and warlock spell lists; however the DM may rule some spells off-limits to a warlock based on their pact source, such as
The Slot Machine Casters who have positive modifiers on their key casting ability have additional spell slots available at each level per the table Bonus Spell Slots. For a multiclass spellcaster, use the highest key ability to determine extra spell slots per the Spell Slots per Spell Level chart in Chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook (p.165 in the 2018 edition). Bonus Spell Slots Key Mod Bonus Spell Slots 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +1 1 — — — — — — — — +2 1 1 — — — — — — — +3 2 1 1 — — — — — — +4 2 2 1 1 — — — — — +5 2 2 2 1 1 — — — — +6 3 2 2 2 1 1 — — — +7 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 — — +8 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 — +9 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 +10 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 The bonus spell slots don’t work precisely the same for warlocks since they only ever have one level of spell slots