Warlocks can serve a Baldur’s Gate 3 party very well as a Charisma-based damage dealer using little more than a cantrip. But the best Warlock builds must know what feats they have to work with so they can make a good choice at level four, eight, or 12.
Warlocks are Charisma-based spellcasters with the potential for melee combat with a specific build. Their usual method of dealing damage is through the Eldritch Blast cantrip, a powerful and spam-worthy spell that fires multiple beams. We’re going to focus on Eldritch Blast for much of our list, but we’ll nod to the “Hexblade” build as it goes on.
Here are the best feats for Warlocks in BG3.
Best feat options for a Warlock in BG3
The best feat for Warlocks is Ability Score Improvement (Charisma). Warlocks require 20 Charisma more than perhaps anyone else as their damage is almost fully reliant on it. But other feats worth considering include defensive options and methods to further boost your strong, consistent damage.
Before taking any of these feats, get your Charisma to 20. This can be done through a variety of methods—Ability Score Improvements is the most common, but equipment like Birthright and alternative methods like Ethel’s Hair are great ways to save a feat level. If you do so, one of these feats might be interesting.
5) Actor
Actor is a fun feat that boosts Charisma by one and then grants expertise in Deception and Performance. Getting a Charisma boost makes taking Actor feel a lot less painful than most feats on this list that don’t have a stat boost, especially if you start with 17 Charisma from character creation or from Ethel’s Hair. Deception is an incredibly common skill check in BG3, so expertise in it can be very useful.
Actor halves the penalty of taking a feat over an Ability Score Increase. Since a Warlock can easily begin play with 17 Charisma, it’s not the end of the world to get Actor immediately. Eighteen Charisma by level four is very normal for Warlocks, after all.
And your 18 Charisma comes with some upsides. Actor grants between plus-two to plus-eight to your Deception or Performance checks, depending on your level and if you already had proficiency in those skills. Deception especially is a constant option during the dozens of conversations throughout BG3, so having a better chance to succeed on those is a great idea.
That being said, Illithid Powers are a pretty easy way to get Deception Expertise. You don’t need to take Actor to get this. Heck, even a one-level dip into Rogue can get you Expertise in Deception. So, this feat isn’t required but is a fine way to get a plus-one in Charisma with some extra benefits—outside of just bumping up your Constitution, that is.
4) Lucky
Lucky is a unique feat that provides you with a pool of three rerolls that refresh each day. These rerolls can be used on attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws, and can also be used to reroll enemy attack rolls. Recently, Lucky has been buffed to be easier to use while transformed, which is always appreciated.
Lucky is a universally powerful feat. In BG3, you are going to be consistently rolling attack rolls and saving throws. And having three more sources of Inspiration per day for BG3’s spitefully low ability checks can be a blessing for any character.
What Lucky is usually best for is saving throws. There are quite a few spells in BG3 that can quickly and effectively end your character’s life—or at least prevent them from fighting for multiple turns. Using Lucky to dodge Hold Person or Disintegrate can be a big deal in the late game. You’re playing rocket tag at that point—even on easier difficulties. Every advantage counts.
You can also prevent enemy crits with Lucky, which can be a gigantic deal when enemies crit for over 100.
Lucky is great, but three rerolls per day aren’t very impactful. As a Warlock, you’ll be making upwards of three to 10 attacks per round, so rerolling attack rolls can quickly eat through your meager supply. Choose very wisely while you have Lucky, or you might find yourself grasping for straws.
3) Great Weapon Master
If you are going with a Pact of the Blade build, Great Weapon Master is a great way to boost damage. Great Weapon Master is a toggleable feature that boosts two-handed weapon damage by +10 at a minus-five deficit to accuracy. It also lets the user swing their weapon again as a bonus action if they kill or critically hit a target.
If you are considering a melee Warlock of any kind, Great Weapon Master is something to consider. Pact of the Blade lets you swing twice by default, so this feat can grant a minimum of 20 damage to an otherwise simple round. Add onto that bonuses from abilities like Hex and support spells from your party and your Warlock can easily tear through enemies. That minus-five to attack rolls can seem daunting at first, but AC is relatively low in BG3. You will miss more often, but you can fix that with exceptional equipment like the Legacy of the Masters gloves.
The extra bonus action is nothing to shake a stick at, either. Critical hits are only a one-in-20 chance for most builds, but killing enemies will happen quite often during combat. Combine this with an Elixir of Bloodlust and you’ve got a two-handed marauder with the opportunity to kill many foes.
2) Resilient (Constitution)
One of the more simple options on this list, Resilient (Constitution) boosts your Constitution by one and gives you proficiency in Constitution saving throws. Overall, this can grant up to a plus-five on Concentration saving throws, something you roll often as a Warlock.
Constitution saving throws are one of three common saving throws—the other two being Dexterity and Wisdom. As a Warlock, you only get access to Wisdom, so becoming proficient in Constitution saves is a good idea. This saving throw type allows a Warlock to more easily avoid devastating spells like Circle of Death or Flesh to Stone.
Like Actor, Resilient works best if you have an odd number for the applicable ability score. Warlocks can easily have 15 Constitution through character creation, which is great for slotting in Resilient. Then, Resilient will also be responsible for slightly boosting your health while also making it 25 percent more likely you make Concentration checks or save against deadly magic. That’s a win-win.
An honorable mention goes to War Caster, which gives you an advantage on Concentration checks and lets you use Shocking Grasp when an enemy turns their back on you. Unfortunately, that feat only improves your Concentration checks without making you more durable in other ways. We prefer Resilient quite a bit more because of that. But if Larian wants to buff War Caster in future patches, it’d be well worth consideration.
1) Spell Sniper
Spell Sniper is an extremely strong option for Warlocks in BG3. It improves critical hit rates for cantrips by one and teaches you an additional attack-based cantrip. We recommend picking up a cantrip like Bone Chill that can prevent healing or Thorn Whip for positioning.
Spell Sniper is most notable for its small boost to critical hit rates. This is not much extra damage for you, evening out to a meager plus-two per blast with Hex online, or plus-three if you have Lightning Charges or Spellmight Gloves. While that’s not a bad increase in damage per round, its real glory comes from stacking critical hits.
While wielding weapons and armor with a higher critical hit rate, you can really stack the number of dice you roll for Spell Sniper. It’s not impossible to achieve 15 to 20 critical hit rates with the right items—such as Bloodthirst, Dead Shot, Sarevok’s Horned Helmet, or a Fighter multiclass. Alongside the Great Old One’s Mortal Reminder, this can be an excellent way to spread Fear. And Spell Sniper is an important stepping stone to that.
This is a very greedy damage-based feat, but the extra damage and ability to quickly and effectively tear through a fight is worth considering. Use this with a composition that can easily restrain targets, such as a Druid or Ranger, and you’ll reap dividends.
That being said, Spell Sniper is far from required for a good Warlock build. Simple Ability Score Improvements can be very effective, and even a critical hit build of Warlock can afford extra Constitution instead of Spell Sniper. This feat is powerful, but so is getting some health from something like Tough.
