Dwarf Warlock Build Guide

Levels 1-4

Start as a Fiend Warlock. At level 2, immediately grab the Agonizing Blast and Repelling Blast invocations. Agonizing Blast is non-negotiable for your Blaster role, and Repelling Blast lets you push enemies away from your squishier party members. At level 3, choose the Pact of the Tome to pick up Find Familiar via the Book of Ancient Secrets invocation. At level 4, take the Fey Touched feat to bump your 15 Charisma to 16 (or 18 if you allocated your +2 racial bonus here) and secure Misty Step, completely solving your lack of low-level mobility.

Levels 5-10

Level 5 is a massive power spike. You gain 3rd-level spell slots and access to Fireball via the Fiend expanded spell list. Swap out lower-level spells to ensure you have Hypnotic Pattern and Counterspell. At level 8, take your Ability Score Improvement to bump Charisma by +2, maxing it at 20. Your spell DPR jumps significantly here. Make sure you pick up the Lance of Lethargy invocation at level 9 to further reduce enemy movement speed, turning your Eldritch Blast into a premier kiting tool.

Levels 11-16

At level 11, you unlock your 6th-level Mystic Arcanum. Take Mass Suggestion; it doesn't require concentration, making it the most reliable crowd control option for a Warlock. At level 12, take the Resilient (Constitution) feat. This bumps your odd 13 CON to 14 and gives you proficiency in Constitution saving throws, which is vital for maintaining concentration on a 5th-level Wall of Fire. For your 13th and 15th level Mystic Arcanums, select Forcecage and Maddening Darkness, respectively.

Levels 17-20

At level 17, your spell DPR hits 16.5, and your HP reaches a very respectable 105 thanks to Dwarven Toughness. For your 9th-level Mystic Arcanum, True Polymorph is the objective best choice, allowing you to turn a boulder into a Young Silver Dragon permanently. At level 19, pick up the Tough feat to double down on your dwarven durability, essentially giving you the hit point pool of a Fighter. Level 20's Eldritch Master is underwhelming, but it guarantees you'll never enter a boss fight without your four 5th-level pact slots.

Cantrips

Eldritch Blast: The backbone of your 9 to 16.5 spell DPR. You will cast this on 90% of your turns.
Minor Illusion: Use your darkvision to hide behind a 5-foot illusory crate while firing off blasts.

Level 1-2 Spells

Hex: Essential in Tier 1 for burning down high-HP targets with your blasts.
Armor of Agathys: Scales incredibly well with your Pact Magic slots. Casting this at 5th level gives 25 temp HP and deals 25 cold damage to melee attackers, stacking beautifully with your innate Dwarven durability.

Level 3-5 Spells

Fireball: The definitive Blaster spell. Fiend Warlocks get it at level 5, and you should use it whenever 3 or more enemies cluster.
Hypnotic Pattern: A massive AoE save-or-suck spell that shuts down encounters.
Wall of Fire: Use Repelling Blast to constantly push enemies back through the fiery wall on subsequent turns.

High-Level Spells

Mass Suggestion (6th): Affects up to 12 creatures without requiring concentration.
Forcecage (7th): Traps a boss enemy with zero saving throw allowed.
True Polymorph (9th): Turn yourself into an Adult Gold Dragon when your 105 Warlock HP runs out.

Fey Touched

Take this at level 4. Warlocks desperately need mobility, and a free cast of Misty Step gets you out of melee range where your DPR drops to an abysmal 3.9. It also rounds out your odd Charisma score, boosting your spell save DC and attack rolls.

Resilient (Constitution)

Take this at level 12. With an initial Constitution of 13, this rounds you up to 14 while granting proficiency in CON saves. You cannot afford to lose concentration on Hypnotic Pattern just because a goblin shot you with a shortbow.

Moderately Armored

If your DM allows you to swap your starting stats to favor Dexterity, taking this feat at level 8 grants you proficiency with medium armor and shields. A Warlock with a shield and half-plate has 19 AC, making your already beefy Dwarf Warlock near-impossible to kill.

Tough

Take this at level 19. When combined with Dwarven Toughness, you are gaining +4 HP per level over a standard Warlock. This turns your d8 hit die into an effective d16 hit die, making you a magical tank.

Tier 1 (Levels 1-4)

Acquire Studded Leather Armor immediately to capitalize on your 14 Dexterity, bringing your AC to 14. Seek out a Bloodwell Vial +1; regaining 5 hit points when you spend hit dice is nice, but the +1 to your warlock spell attack rolls and save DCs is mandatory for landing Eldritch Blast.

Tier 2 (Levels 5-10)

Look for a Cloak of Displacement. As a Blaster, enemies will try to rush you. Imposing disadvantage on all attacks until you take damage pairs perfectly with your high HP pool. Upgrade to a Bloodwell Vial +2 or seek out a Wand of the War Mage +2 to keep your spell attack bonus ahead of the curve.

Tier 3 (Levels 11-16)

The Rod of the Pact Keeper +2 is your primary goal, as it allows you to regain one Warlock spell slot as an action—effectively giving you a 50% increase in your 5th-level spellcasting capacity during a tough fight. Also, look for an Amulet of Health to jump your Constitution to 19 if you didn't take Resilient.

Tier 4 (Levels 17-20)

You want the Robe of the Archmagi. It sets your base AC to 15 + DEX modifier, gives you advantage on saving throws against spells, and boosts your spell save DC by 2. Pair this with a Staff of Power for a +2 to AC and saving throws, turning your Dwarf into an immovable arcane bunker.

As a Blaster, your primary role is sustained ranged damage and AoE clearing. Because your melee DPR plummets to 3.58 by level 11, you absolutely must have a dedicated frontline to keep enemies at bay. An Oath of the Ancients Paladin is your best friend; their Aura of Warding grants resistance to spell damage, which stacks beautifully with your Dwarven Resilience advantage against poison, making you nearly immune to magical artillery.

You also pair incredibly well with a Twilight Domain Cleric. While their Twilight Sanctuary temporary HP doesn't stack with your Fiend's Dark One's Blessing, it provides a massive safety net when you aren't scoring killing blows. Furthermore, a Cavalier Fighter or Ancestral Guardian Barbarian can lock down targets in your Wall of Fire, allowing you to sit back and use Repelling Blast to push anyone who manages to escape right back into the flames.

Fighter 2 Dip

Starting with two levels of Fighter gives you Constitution saving throw proficiency, medium armor, and shields (fixing your AC issues instantly). More importantly, Action Surge allows you to cast two leveled spells in a single turn. Dropping two Fireballs back-to-back as a Fiend Warlock will end most encounters on round one.

Sorcerer 3 Dip

Taking three levels of Divine Soul Sorcerer gives you access to the Shield and Absorb Elements spells, which Warlocks desperately lack. You also gain Metamagic; using Quickened Spell lets you cast a leveled spell as a bonus action and immediately follow up with a full Eldritch Blast volley as your action.

• Using weapons over cantrips: Your melee DPR at level 5 is an abysmal 3.9, while your spell DPR is 9. Put the warhammer away; you are a blaster, not a frontliner.
• Forgetting Dwarven Resilience on saves: Players often remember the resistance to poison damage but forget that Dwarven Resilience grants advantage on saving throws against the poisoned condition. This is crucial against Green Dragons and giant spiders.
• Hoarding spell slots: Warlocks regain slots on a short rest. Do not end a fight holding onto both of your 3rd-level slots while the party takes a short rest; you are wasting potential Fireball damage.
• Skipping Agonizing Blast: Warlock spell damage without Agonizing Blast is terrible. Never trade this invocation for utility options like Eyes of the Rune Keeper.