Dragonborn Warlock Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start as a Genie (Dao) Patron Warlock. This gives you Genie's Wrath, allowing you to add bludgeoning damage to your Eldritch Blast once per turn. At level 2, grab Agonizing Blast for consistent DPR and Devil's Sight to fix your species' lack of Darkvision. At level 3, take Pact of the Chain to get an invisible Imp familiar that can scout ahead. For your level 4 feat, you must take Dragon Fear. This racial feat lets you expend a Breath Weapon use to frighten enemies in a 30-foot radius. Crucially, it provides a +1 to Charisma, bumping your starting 15 CHA to a 16, and the fear save DC scales directly off that Charisma.

Levels 5-10

At level 5, your Eldritch Blast splits into two beams (pushing your spell DPR to 9), and you gain 3rd-level spell slots. Pick up the Repelling Blast invocation. You can now cast Spike Growth (from your Dao spell list), fly into the air with Draconic Flight, and push enemies back through the spikes using your cantrip. At level 8, use your Ability Score Improvement to bump your Charisma to 18, ensuring your Dragon Fear DC and spell attack rolls stay ahead of the enemy AC curve.

Levels 11-16

Level 11 is a massive power spike. Your Eldritch Blast fires three beams (12.38 DPR), and you unlock your 6th-level Mystic Arcanum. Take Mass Suggestion, a non-concentration encounter-ender. At level 12, max your Charisma to 20. By level 16, take Resilient (Constitution) to bump your odd 13 CON to a 14. You will be flying frequently, and gaining proficiency in Constitution saving throws ensures you don't drop concentration on a crucial spell and plummet to the ground.

Levels 17-20

At level 17, your Eldritch Blast reaches its maximum of four beams (16.5 DPR), and you gain your 9th-level Mystic Arcanum. Because you are a Genie Patron, select Wish to bypass costly material components for spells like Simulacrum. Take the Metamagic Adept feat at level 19 for Quicken Spell, allowing you to cast a bonus action Eldritch Blast and still use your Dragon Fear roar in the exact same turn.

Cantrips

Eldritch Blast: The absolute core of your build. Paired with Draconic Flight, you become an airborne turret. Minor Illusion: Create a 5-foot box to hide inside, giving yourself advantage on spell attacks if you don't have time to fly.

Level 1-2 Spells

Armor of Agathys: Scales beautifully with Pact Magic slots. Because your Dragonborn Damage Resistance halves incoming damage of a specific type, the temporary hit points from this spell last twice as long against those attacks, dealing massive retaliatory cold damage. Spike Growth: Your Dao Genie signature spell. Drag and drop enemies through it with your invocations.

Level 3-5 Spells

Hunger of Hadar: Excellent AoE denial. Frighten enemies with Dragon Fear, trapping them in the cold, acidic void because frightened creatures cannot willingly move closer to you. Sickening Radiance: Combined with Repelling Blast, you can continually knock enemies back into this microwave zone of exhaustion.

High-Level Spells

Mass Suggestion (6th): A 24-hour, concentration-free control spell that targets Wisdom. Forcecage (7th): Trap a grounded melee brute while you hover safely above them. Wish (9th): The ultimate reality-bending tool available to Genie Warlocks.

Dragon Fear

Take this at level 4. It is arguably the best racial feat in the game for Charisma casters. Instead of dealing mediocre damage with your Breath Weapon at higher levels, you force a Wisdom saving throw to frighten everything within 30 feet. Because frightened creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, it is a phenomenal defensive tool that scales perfectly with your Warlock spellcasting stat.

Resilient (Constitution)

Take this at level 16. Starting with a 13 Constitution leaves you vulnerable to dropping concentration on high-value spells like Sickening Radiance. Bumping it to 14 and adding your proficiency bonus (+5 at this tier) to CON saves is mandatory for a flying Warlock to avoid falling damage.

Metamagic Adept

Take this at level 19. Two Sorcery Points gives you exactly one use of Quicken Spell per day. This allows you to set up a devastating nova turn: Quicken a high-level spell or Eldritch Blast as a bonus action, and use your main action to unleash your Breath Weapon into a clustered enemy formation.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Look for a Rod of the Pact Keeper +1. Not only does it boost your spell attack rolls and save DC for your Warlock spells, but it lets you regain a Warlock spell slot once per day as an action, effectively increasing your daily spell output by 50% at this tier.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Seek out Winged Boots if you aren't playing a Gem Dragonborn. If you already have Draconic Flight, prioritize an Amulet of Health to fix your mediocre 13 Constitution, instantly bumping your max HP and drastically improving your concentration saving throws.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

A Cloak of Displacement is incredible here. Because you are flying out of melee reach, most attacks targeting you will be ranged weapon attacks or spells. Forcing disadvantage on those attacks stacks beautifully with your innate Damage Resistance to keep you alive.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

The Staff of Power is the crown jewel. It gives a +2 to AC, saving throws, and spell attack rolls. The bonus to saving throws is critical for covering your dismal 10 Wisdom, protecting you from late-game save-or-suck effects like Feeblemind.

As a Blaster, your primary job is dealing sustained single-target damage with Eldritch Blast and managing crowds with your Dragon Fear feat and AoE spells. Because you operate best from the air, you need allies who can hold the ground and keep enemies corralled in your hazardous spell zones.

A Paladin is your best friend. Their Aura of Protection is the only reliable way to patch your vulnerable 10 Wisdom saves against magical effects. If you get targeted by a Banishment while flying, you need that Paladin standing directly beneath you.

You also pair flawlessly with a Rune Knight Fighter or an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian. You want a massive frontline martial who can grapple key targets and drag them through your Dao Warlock's Spike Growth, or physically hold them inside your Hunger of Hadar while you bombard them from the clouds.

Sorcerer 3 dip

The classic 'Sorlock' build. Taking 3 levels of Divine Soul Sorcerer gives you the Shield and Absorb Elements spells (stacking with your racial damage resistance). More importantly, it gives you Font of Magic to convert your short-rest Warlock slots into Sorcery Points, letting you Quicken Eldritch Blast repeatedly while using your action for your Dragonborn Breath Weapon.

Fighter 2 dip

Taking two levels of Fighter provides Armor, Shields, and the coveted Action Surge. Because you can cast two leveled spells in a single turn with Action Surge, you can drop a Sickening Radiance and immediately Action Surge to push enemies into it with an Eldritch Blast volley, or combine a spell with your Dragon Fear roar.

• Ignoring the Darkvision Tax: Dragonborn do not have Darkvision. If you try to cast spells in a pitch-black dungeon without taking the Devil's Sight invocation, you will have disadvantage on all your Eldritch Blast attack rolls.
• Wasting Actions on Breath Weapon at Tier 3: By level 11, three beams of Agonizing Blast (12.38 DPR) easily out-damage the raw dice of a standard Breath Weapon against a single target. Only use the breath on 3+ grouped enemies, or swap it entirely for the Dragon Fear feat.
• Flying Without a Safety Net: Draconic Flight is amazing, but if you are knocked prone or paralyzed by a Wisdom save (which you are weak to), you fall. Stay low enough to survive a drop, or stay near a Paladin's aura.
• Forgetting Resistance Stacking: Temporary hit points from Armor of Agathys take damage *after* your racial Damage Resistance is applied. Don't waste your reaction on defensive spells if your natural scales already halve the incoming blow.