Bladelock build - Melee Warlock - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)
Contents
Bladelock - Melee Warlock Build
This is a very solid build setup where you go 12 levels in Warlock. You also take Pact of the Blade to effectively use melee weapons. This does not mean that you will always use them. However, it is a strong option.
As a Warlock, you still have access to the famous Eldritch Blast cantrip and an array of Spells to deal with enemies using Control or damage. The build will also heavily depend on itemization as these options will decide what highest damage you can do.
Another good aspect of going Bladelock is that you can utilize the unique synergy of Darkness and Devil's Sight to become the ultimate melee combatant, safely chipping away at enemies. This trivializes many of the game encounters.
Did this pique your interest? If yes, here is a short overview if you are interested before diving deep into the build.
Leveling Overview
Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear as it is crucial.
Level | Class | Selection |
---|---|---|
1 | Warlock 1 | Cantrips: Eldritch Blast, Friends |
Subclass: The Fiend | ||
Spells: Hellish Rebuke, Hex | ||
STR - 8, DEX - 16, CON - 14, INT - 8, WIS - 10, CHA - 17 | ||
Skills: Deception, Intimidation | ||
2 | Warlock 2 | Spells: Armour of Agathys |
Eldritch Invocations: Agonising Blast, Armour of Shadows | ||
3 | Warlock 3 | Spells: Cloud of Daggers |
Pact Boon: Pact of the Blade | ||
4 | Warlock 4 | Cantrips: Minor Illusion |
Spells: Darkness | ||
Feat: Great Weapon Master: All In or Ability Improvement +2 Charisma | ||
5 | Warlock 5 | Spells: Hunger of Hadar |
Eldritch Invocations: Devil's Sight | ||
Replace Spell: Hellish Rebuke -> Fireball | ||
6 | Warlock 6 | Spells: Counterspell |
Replace Spell: Cloud of Daggers -> Hold Person | ||
7 | Warlock 7 | Spells: Wall of Fire |
Eldritch Invocations: Repelling Blast | ||
8 | Warlock 8 | Spells: Fear |
Feat: Ability Improvement +2 Charisma or Great Weapon Master: All In | ||
9 | Warlock 9 | Spells: Cone of Cold |
Eldritch Invocations: Dreadful Word | ||
10 | Warlock 10 | Cantrips: Blade Ward |
Spells: Hold Monster | ||
11 | Warlock 11 | Mystic Arcanum: Eyebite |
Spells: Flame Strike | ||
12 | Warlock 12 | Spells: Misty Step |
Eldritch Invocations: Lifedrinker | ||
Feat: Alert or Savage Attacker |
Starting the Game - Level 1
This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for the Bladelock build. Some of these choices are impactful as you cannot respec them.
Races
Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc. Also, keep in mind whether your picked race has Shield proficiency as this can improve survivability, especially in the early game.
Race | Features | Description |
---|---|---|
Githyanki |
|
This is the race that I would recommend going with Bladelock. It gives medium armor proficiency, which greatly expands the armor that you can wear. Moreover, it gets some good actions like Misty Step and Astral Knowledge. |
Half-Orc |
|
A great choice, especially if you plan on going melee. The critical damage bonus is okay, but Relentless Endurance is what will make you exceptional in close combat. |
Duergar Dwarf |
|
I love this pick as Invisibility allows for some good combat surprises. Moreover, you can cast Enlarge without concentration. |
Wood Elf |
|
Comes with improved movement speed which is good, and extremely useful for melee builds. |
Wood Half-Elf |
|
Comes with improved movement speed which is good, and useful for melee builds. You can also equip a shield, which is great for improving AC early in the game. |
Class
Overview | |
---|---|
Warlock | |
Features | |
Warlock Spell Slots | These spell slots can be used to cast spells and refill each Short Rest. |
Cantrips
Cantrips | Description |
---|---|
Eldritch Blast | The iconic cantrip of Warlock gets significantly more powerful as you level up and unlock new features. |
Friends | This cantrip is mandatory if you are playing as a main character. Otherwise, skip it. |
Mage Hand | An alternative cantrip, that you can use to solve some puzzles. It can also perform adequately in early-game combat - throw items, shove, etc. |
Subclass
I think there are a few options that you can pick here, specifically when going for the Bladelock build. I would like to suggest those that would mostly fit a melee warlock setup.
Subclass | Description |
---|---|
The Fiend | You could say this is more of a "versatile" option. You get Dark One's Blessing and a wide array of Fire spells. Another highlight is Command which is one of the best control spells in the game, not requiring any concentration. |
The Great Old One | This subclass also fits the melee warlock build well. The main highlight is the Mortal Reminder effect which can immobilize enemies. Sadly the spell options are not as good in my opinion, as something like Fireball is hard to compete against. |
For this build progression, I will be going with:
Overview | |
---|---|
The Fiend | |
Features | |
Dark One's Blessing | When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, this gift from your patron grants you temporary hit points |
Spells
Cantrips | Description |
---|---|
Hellish Rebuke | This is a great spell early on where your actions are limited. With it you can attack using reaction, meaning it can be done on the enemy's turn. |
Hex | You can increase your damage with each hit and utilize bonus action in effective way early in the game. Later on, this spell loses its value. |
Background
Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer. If you want to optimize, then it would be good to pick backgrounds that are based on your ability points of Charisma.
Background | Skills | Description |
---|---|---|
Guild Artisan | Insight Persuasion |
Gives persuasion proficiency, for better dialogue checks. |
Entertainer | Acrobatics Performance |
Improves Acrobatics skills and gives bonuses to Performance for some dialogue checks. |
Charlatan | Deception Sleight of Hand |
A truly great option especially as you can be the one that unlocks and disarms most of the traps with Sleight of Hand proficiency. |
Noble | History Persuasion |
Although you will have low intelligence the Persuasion check improvement is good. But it's an inferior option to Guild Artisan in my opinion |
Abilities
Now let's take a look at the abilities of the best Melee Warlock build. Correct allocation will allow you to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.
Ability | Value | Description |
---|---|---|
Strength | 8 | Not relevant for the build, even though it is melee. The warlock will use Pact of the Blade for weapon damage. |
Dexterity | 16 (15+1) | This ability is important as it will ensure you can effectively use Finesse weapons before getting Pact of the Blade. Moreover, it will give Armour class and higher initiative. |
Constitution | 14 | Gives survivability and decreases the chance of spell concentration failure when hit. |
Intelligence | 8 | No need for this ability. |
Wisdom | 10 | The small allocation ensures that there is no negative modifier to Wisdom rolls. |
Charisma | 17 (15+2) | The main ability of Bladelock. It will ensure good spellcasting modifier, improved weapon damage with attack rolls and better dialogue outcomes. |
Skills and Expertise
Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier and these are Charisma-related.
- Deception
- Intimidation
Also, you can pick any others, but they will not give relevant boosts based on ability allocation.
Leveling Progression - Levels 2-12
Here is the detailed progression for the Melee Warlock Build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get a feel for the class you can start picking your options
Level 2
This is where you will have left the tutorial area, and will start exploring the world.
Spells
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Armour of Agathys | Although I did not use it as much, it's a good spell to have, especially if you plan on short resting and use this to buff up yourself. However, it does not go well with Dark One's Blessing. |
Eldritch Invocations
Here, you can make a few important choices, that depend on your playstyle:
Invocation | Description |
---|---|
Agonising Blast | One of the most important invocations to make Eldritch Blast more powerful. |
Armour of Shadows | I recommend this pick if you do not have medium armor proficiency. It will also come in handy if you are planning to use Potent Robe later on. With this, your robes will give 13 Armour Class. Moreover, I would also prioritize this if you do not have anyone else in the group who could cast Mage Armour. |
Devil's Sight | If you plan on using the Darkness spell from level 3, I would take this option. You could use the dark area to your advantage and make enemies come at you at a disadvantage. |
Replace Spell
Nothing to replace yet.
Level 3
First level 2 spells are unlocked and you can pick a pact boon
Spells
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Cloud of Daggers | This is a very effective offensive spell in my opinion, and can help immensely in multiple early-game fights. Later on, you would be switching it out. |
Darkness | If you want to prioritize the darkness setup with Devil's Sight, this should be your immediate pick. |
Pact Boon
Boon | Description |
---|---|
Pact of the Blade | Once you get this, you can start wearing Two-Handed weapons and bind them to your character. This way you will be using Charisma instead of Strength/Dexterity to decide damage. |
Replace Spell
Nothing to replace yet.
Level 4
The first feat is unlocked, and you get some great choices to pick.
Cantrips
Cantrips | Description |
---|---|
Minor Illusion | You can use this cantrip to attract possible enemies to one place. After that follow up with the area of effect spell or attack to damage all of them. |
Spells
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Darkness | Be sure to take this if you did not get it. |
If you do not need the spell above, pick what you prefer. Some good options - Mirror Image, Scorching Ray, Misty Step, etc.
Replace Spell
Nothing to replace.
Feat
Feat | Description |
---|---|
Great Weapon Master: All In | This is the strongest feat if you are using two-handed weapons. First, it gives a bonus attack using a bonus action if you kill an enemy or land a critical hit. Second, it gives a big 10 damage boost, that comes with a -5 penalty to attack rolls. This is problematic in the early game but can be overcome in various ways. I recommend checking my guide on Attack Roll Increase, to get ideas on how to mitigate it. |
Ability Improvement | If you want to be on the safe side, and not eager to use two-handed weapons as much, you could pick +2 Charisma instead. This would delay Great Weapon Master: All In to level 8. |
Level 5
This is a huge milestone and improvement to the melee warlock build, as you will get some nice features.
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Deepened Pact | Unlock the Extra Attack feature with a weapon that is bound using the Pact of the Blade. |
Spells
The new spell level tier is unlocked, and there are many great picks, however, I would recommend picking one for now:
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Hunger of Hadar | This is one of the strongest control spells in the game. It covers a large area and makes enemies blind. Moreover, it inflicts damage per turn and slows them down. This is an extremely strong setup that makes multiple encounters a cakewalk. |
Eldritch Invocations
Invocation | Description |
---|---|
Devil's Sight | If you have not taken this one yet, and have Darkness, I would recommend doing that now. |
Repelling Blast | If you are interested in improving the Eldritch Blast cantrip further here is my pick. This can be used to push back enemies into chasms. |
Replace Spells
I recommend removing - Hellish Rebuke and picking:
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Fireball | This is a very powerful spell, that is simple and effective - deals a lot of damage in a big area. It is perfect for when enemies are grouped up. |
Level 6
You are continuing further with incremental improvements to the Bladelock setup
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Dark One's Own Luck | A great passive feature, that can be used to improve your chances of a particular roll. |
Spells
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Counterspell | I recommend having this spell if no one in your group can cast it. Although you have limited spell slots, it could save you from certain death if the enemy could land a strong spell. |
Misty Step | A good spell to have on hand, particularly if you are not a Githyanki. |
Hypnotic Pattern | A solid control spell that covers a big area, and can disable enemies for a few turns. |
Replace Spell
I recommend removing Cloud of Daggers as I think it has served its purpose.
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Hold Person | This spell is extremely useful if you will be using Helmet of Arcane Acuity and Band of the Mystic Scoundrel setup. The guaranteed critical hits are hard to pass. |
Level 7
Level 4 spells are unlocked!
Spells
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Wall of Fire | Nothing is better than a wall of tall flames. Use this to cover choke points and force enemies to damage themselves by walking through it. |
Eldritch Invocations
Invocations | Description |
---|---|
Dreadful Word | If you have read my builds, you know I have a weak spot for Confusion, and I have a hard time not recommending it. |
Beguiling Influence | Additional proficiencies for better dialogue rolls. |
Replace Spell
Feel free to replace a spell that you are not using.
Level 8
More spells and a second feat are waiting for you. This level should be mid-Act 2, so you already will have access to some of the gear.
Spells
Overall, you could take any spell that you are curious to try with the build. My recommendation:
Spell | Description |
---|---|
Fear | Force enemies to become fearful, drop their weapons, and run. This spell is perfect for frontliner build as it has a short range. |
Replace Spell
Nothing to replace now.
Feat
There are plenty of options to take for the second feat, let's go through them
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Great Weapon Master: All In | If you did not take this, I would recommend doing that now, as this will greatly boost your melee damage, and make it reasonable to go into frontlines for the bonus damage. |
Ability Improvement | +2 Charisma, if you have not taken it, this will improve all the aspects of the Bladelock build. |
Moderately Armoured | If you would like to equip Medium armors this feat is mandatory. There are some good options in Act 2. However, this would require juggling some ability points. I would remove 1 point from Dexterity and add it to Wisdom or Constitution. Then get 1 point from this feat into Dexterity. |
Level 9
The melee warlock can now access level 5 spells.
Spells
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Cone of Cold | For this level, I would do one thing differently and get access to a cold spell. This will give some variety to your damage, in case enemies are resistant to fire. Moreover, you can double the damage of this spell by making enemies wet. |
Eldritch Invocations
For now, I think the build has everything covered. So feel free to pick anything of interest:
Invocations | Description |
---|---|
Fiendish Vigour | Get bonus temporary HP, for bonus survivability. |
Repelling Blast | Improve Eldritch Blast cantrip with a knockback effect. This can be used to push back enemies into chasms. |
Otherworldly Leap | Get Enhance Leap ritual spells for better mobility and world exploration. |
Replace Spell
Feel free to replace anything you do not use.
Level 10
A new subclass feature and more spell picks.
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Fiendish Resilience | A good action, that can be useful in Act 3. There will be a few fights where getting resistance to something like Fire can mean life or death. |
Cantrips
At this stage in the game, it won't matter much what you pick.
Cantrip | Description |
---|---|
Blade Ward | Some additional protection if you can precast this before combat. |
Spells
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Hold Monster | A very powerful hold spell. I also recommend this if you will be using Helmet of Arcane Acuity and Band of the Mystic Scoundrel setup. The guaranteed critical hits are hard to pass. |
Blight | A spell otpion if you want some more varied damage. |
Level 11
This is where Warlock gets access to level 6 spells. Sadly the options are fairly limited, but they do not use your spell slots.
Mystic Arcanum
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Eyebite | Debilitate and control creatures. This can be recast without costing a spell slot as long as you maintain concentration. |
Create Undead | As this gets a free use per Long Rest I do not see a reason not to take it. |
Spells
Spells | Description |
---|---|
Flame Strike | The ultimate fire spell for Fiend Warlock. It deals both fire and radiant damage, making it effective even if enemies have resistance to fire. |
Replace Spell
For spell replacement, I don't think it is needed, feel free to try out something if you would like.
Level 12
This is the final level of the build. Some good options give a power-up to bladelock.
Spells
To be honest, pick anything that you prefer, the core of the build is covered. For example, need more mobility? Get Misty Step. Want more defensiveness? Mirror Image is there for you. And so on.
Eldritch Invocations
The final Invocation is something that will give a big boost to damage.
Invocations | Description |
---|---|
Lifedrinker | Improves your damage by the charisma modifier when using melee attacks. At level 12 this should be 6-7 damage per hit which is a good amount for a melee build. |
Replace Spell
You can replace any of the spells, I leave this to your discretion.
Feat
I will list some options that will give a little edge to the build:
Feats | Description |
---|---|
Moderately Armoured | If you have not taken this you could be interested in some late-game armours like Armour of Persistence. However, without Potent Robe your Eldritch Blast will become weaker, so take this into account. |
Dual Wielder | If you have looked at the gear section for Act 3, I suggest a dual-wield setup. This feat could be taken to allow equipping and offhand weapons like the Infernal Rapier. Remember, if taking this, you will not need Great Weapon Master: All In. |
Savage Attacker | Excellent feat to be taken late into the game. It gives about 30% more damage to your damage rolls. |
Alert | If you did not take this, you can get it for an increased initiative and being able to take a turn on Surprise rounds. |
War Caster: Concentration | A decent feat that would allow you to have better concentration on spells. |
Maximizing Ability Scores
Now, as the build progression is covered there are a few aspects and important decisions you will have to make throughout the game. These will decide your final score for abilities.
- Act 1 - Auntie Ethel Hair - you will want to get +1 Charisma if you pick this choice.
- Ability Improvement - +2 Charisma
- Act 3 - Mirror of Loss - pick +2 Charisma.
- Birthright - +2 Charisma
This will allow you to reach 24 natural Charisma. This results in a +7 Charisma modifier for your weapon attacks, spell rolls, and dialogue checks.
Potions, Elixirs and Consumables
Let's take a look at what consumables you can use to further empower the build. As Bladelock you can benefit both from caster and martial-related consumables.
Potions
These are general consumables, and most of them are activated for a few turns. Potions are separate from Elixirs and can be active together.
Consumable | Description |
---|---|
Potion of Speed | You can chug this potion before combat, or during combat using bonus action. It gives another action point that gives an additional attack or one more spell cast. Sadly its duration is only 3 turns. |
Oil of Accuracy | Gives +2 to attack rolls, which minimizes the negative impact from Great Weapon Master: All In. |
Diluted Oil of Sharpness | Gives a bonus attack roll and damage. It is a good coating if you can apply it before combat. |
Potion of Animal Speaking | Although not something powerful, it is worth stocking up and saving a spell slot. |
Potion of Invisibility | Can be used to get a perfect position before the encounter starts. |
Elixirs
Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.
Be sure to activate them before combat as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.
Consumable | Description |
---|---|
Elixir of Bloodlust | As you will be able to easily kill at least the weakest foe, this ensures additional attacks per turn. It is a perfect option when you kill an enemy with your attacks and then follow up with Eldritch Blast. On Honour Mode, the additional action point would result in only one attack, that would deal less than the cantrip. |
Elixir of Vigilance | For some encounters, you will want to go first. This elixir will ensure that it overcomes even surprise mechanics. |
Elixir of Battlemage's Power | Gain 3 stacks of Arcane Acuity. I would say this should be the most used elixir for higher spell success. |
Elixir of Peerless Focus | Another good choice that allows to better maintain spell Concentration. |
Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation | Grant's a single level 3 spell slot. Could be useful in case you are preparing for a longer encounter. |
Supreme Elixir of Arcane Cultivation | Grant's a single level 4 spell slot. Could be useful in case you are preparing for a longer en |
Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength | If you plan on using Balduran's Giantslayer, this elixir will maximize its combat potential and give a bonus of 8 damage for each hit. |
Illithid Powers
This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers. These range from somewhat useful, to extremely deadly. I would like to leave a few recommendations:
Base Illithid Powers
Order | Illithid Power | Description |
---|---|---|
1 | Favourable Beginnings | Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits. |
2 | Luck of the Far Realms | Amazing passive feature that grats a critical hit without any requirements once per long rest. |
3 | Concentrated Blast | Taking only for progression, to unlock the next power. |
4 | Cull the Weak | Passive feature that does not cost anything and automatically deals bonus psychic damage around the target, once it is close to death. |
5 | Psionic Backlash | A decent use for reaction to deal some bonus psychic damage. |
6 | Psionic Overload | Mainly taking for progression |
7 | Ability Drain | Decrease foes abilities that you attack. |
8 | Transfuse Health | Taking it for progression |
9 | Shield of Thralls | Taking for progression, to unlock the next power, but it also provides a good bonus as temporary health, that can be cast before combat. |
10 | Charm | It is a good feature to have as a frontliner to reduce the number of incoming attacks. This will also progress to some powerful elite powers. |
Elite Illithid Powers
These become unlocked later in the game as you progress. They are extremely powerful additions to the build.
Order | Illithid Power | Description |
---|---|---|
0 | Fly | Automatically unlocked. You can use this to initiate attacks of opportunity without spending any movement. |
2 | Freecast | Removes any cost of spell slots or consumable resources. |
3 | Mind Sanctuary | Extremely valuable power that can also help other casters to use up their Bonus action effectively. |
4 | Psionic Dominance | Great action, that can negate spell casting of some foes. |
5 | Black Hole | A strong area of effect spell that pulls foes together. You can follow up with an area of effect damage spel after this. |
Equipment Recommendations
Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Melee Warlock Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.
Act 1
Before reaching level 3, use any Finesse weapon that you have proficiency with. After that, you can switch to two-handed weapons and use Bind Pact Weapon.
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (Two-Handed) | Unseen Menace | Solid choice as it increases the critical chance and provides an advantage on attack rolls. |
Svartlebee's Woundseeker | One of the best greatswords that you can get in Act 1. The bonus to attack rolls is great for counteracting Great Weapon Master: All In effect. | |
Sword of Justice | A solid greatsword, that gives bonus armour class with Shield of Faith action. | |
Ranged | Bow of Awareness | Gives bonus initiative, allowing one to go earlier in combat. I recommend this for the early games, as you will have low dexterity. |
Hand Crossbow +1 | Equip two of these so that you can attack with your bonus action. | |
Head | Diadem of Arcane Synergy | This is the best helmet in terms of damage improvements. It requires you to inflict a condition. |
Haste Helm | I think the melee aspect of the build greatly benefits from this helmet, so I recommend it. | |
Cloak | - | Nothing really of note here. |
Armor | Infernal Robe | The best robe is purely for Bladelock. It gives Fire Shield: Warm that is perfect for a frontliner. However, acquiring it, requires a very unpopular decision. |
Adamantine Scale Mail | The strongest medium armor for Act 1. Take it you have medium armor proficiency. | |
The Protecty Sparkswall | I would only wear this robe if you do not have other casters in the group. They would benefit much more from it. | |
Breastplate +1 | Alternative to Githyanki Half Plate if it is used by Lae'zel. | |
Githyanki Half Plate | The item is a solid one for early Act 1. You can remove it from Lae'zel. This requires medium armor proficiency. | |
Gloves | Gloves of Dexterity | These gloves can be useful after you obtain Unseen Menace. This way you can optimize your AC a bit. Moreover, you could do a respec to minimize dexterity to 8 and put those points into CON and WIS. However, these gloves will be used for a short time, so I don't think it is mandatory. |
Gloves of the Growling Underdog | Very strong gloves as they give Advantage. It is the best way to counteract the Great Weapon Master: All In -5 attack roll effect. | |
Bracers of Defence | These are the best early-game gloves, giving you a +2 Armour class if you are not using a shield. | |
Gloves of Missile Snaring | Defensive gloves to reduce the damage of incoming ranged attacks. | |
Boots | Disintegrating Night Walkers | One of the best boots, giving a total advantage for movement on difficult surfaces. It also gives Misty Step to increase that mobility. |
Boots of Genial Striding | Good boots that allow moving without slowing down on difficult terrain. | |
Amulet | Amulet of Branding | This is a good amulet that can double your damage with a cost of bonus action. For example, it would work perfectly against bosses where Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack may not activate every time. |
Broodmother's Revenge | The only amulet in the game that gives direct damage increase, can be activated with a single health potion before combat. | |
Amulet of Misty Step | Gives mobility improvement thanks to the Misty Step spell. | |
Rings | Ring of Arcane Synergy | Be sure to pick this up. You will use it later. |
Strange Conduit Ring | As you have some concentration spells, this ring can be easily activated for a little bonus damage. | |
Ring of Protection | The best option for Act 1. The bonus Armour Class is a great boost for survivability. | |
Caustic Band | A solid ring with a +2 acid damage bonus on your weapon attacks. | |
Crusher's Ring | A good movement boost makes it easier to reach those targets. |
Act 2 - mid-game
For Act 2, you will be dropping that heavy armor for some great medium ones. Some of the items will still be the best ones even if they are from Act 1.
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (Two-Handed) | Shar's Spear of Evening | This is a very strong weapon, you can start using it now, or wait till level 11 and unlock the improved Raven companion. After that, this will be an extremely powerful weapon. |
Selûne's Spear of Night | A strong weapon that has unique actions - Moonbeam hits targets in small areas and Moonmote, buffs allies, particularly your beasts. | |
Charge-Bound Warhammer | A really strong weapon, that is good for most of Act 2. It would be one of the best weapons in the game, if not for just +1 Enchantment. | |
Drakethroat Glaive | You can imbue a weapon with any element 1d4 damage and gain a +1 to attack rolls. You can get the bonus elemental damage on any weapon. For example, drop another weapon on the ground, cast the spell with this glaive, and equip the said weapon. This is a very powerful combo, although it may be a bug. | |
Ranged | Darkfire Shortbow | It is an amazing bow that allows to precast Haste before combat. This may not seem as big as you can use Potion of Speed, but sometimes its short duration is insufficient. Otherwise, stay with bows from the previous act. |
Head | Helmet of Arcane Acuity | Probably the best option for Act 2 once you obtain Ring of Arcane Synergy as melee hits will empower your spell success chance. |
Diadem of Arcane Synergy | This is great headwear that you can use to enable bonus damage. However, this requires you to inflict a condition on the enemy. This is an alternative to Ring of Arcane Synergy before obtaining it. So use only one. | |
Flawed Helldusk Helmet | Alternative helmet option, especially if you have something like a Paladin in the group which may use Diadem of Arcane Synergy. | |
Cloak | Cloak of Protection | Improves survivability and Saving Throw success. You want to equip this cloak to maintain that good Armour Class. |
Armor | Potent Robe | This is the best robe, for Bladelock build. It will improve Eldritch Blast damage and make it easy to sustain good damage between this and melee attacks. |
Yuan-ti Scale Mail | Best Medium armour in Act 2, if you have proficiency. | |
Gloves | Flawed Helldusk Gloves | Gives a bonus of 1d4 damage, which is a good boost to melee damage. |
Gloves of the Growling Underdog | These gloves can be used until you get Risky Ring. | |
Boots | Disintegrating Night Walkers | The boots are still the best ones you can equip. |
Evasive Shoes | Optional boots if you need a little bit more Armour Class. | |
Amulet | Amulet of the Harpers | Allows casting a Shield spell, and can be a lifesaver if attacked heavily for one turn. |
Rings | Risky Ring | I would say this is the best Ring, that you can get, to eliminate the effect of Great Weapon Master: All In. |
Ring of Arcane Synergy | You can start using this ring once you obtain Potent Robe. Use Eldritch Blast to enable Arcane Synergy, for bonus damage with your melee hits. Be sure not to use this with Diadem of Arcane Synergy as the effects overlap. | |
Caustic Band | Still a good ring to use, for easy +2 damage. | |
Strange Conduit Ring | If you are using Concentration spells, this would give 0.5 more damage than Caustic Band. |
Act 3 - Final Build setup
This is the last act of the game, where you will get access to the most powerful items. To get them as early as possible you will need some planning, but overall, it should not be a problem.
Overall, there are multiple setups for this build, so I would like to go through them. Choose the one that you like:
Eldritch Blast Combo setup
This is an improved version of the Act 2 setup and uses Eldritch Blast in its rotation. It is inferior in terms of damage to the below Bhaalist Armour setup. However, this one is perfect if you are doing a good playthrough.
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (Two-Handed) | Silver Sword of the Astral Plane | If you went with the Githyanki race, this weapon is too good not to take. It gives race specific bonus and additional psychic damage. |
Nyrulna | An amazing weapon with two unique actions that Bladelock can utilize for a wider variety of attacks. | |
Shar's Spear of Evening | One of the best contenders for the Bladelock build. It plays well with Devil's Sight and gives another source of Darkness. | |
Hellfire Greataxe | I wanted to recommend something unique, and this weapon is amazing. One downside is that many of the stronger enemies will be resistant to its bonus fire damage. | |
Ranged | The Dead Shot | Improves critical range for attack rolls. |
Hellrider Longbow | I would pick this bow if you are using Heavy Armour. The bonus initiative would be a huge boost to do some damage early in the turn. | |
Head | Birthright | The best helmet if you plan on going with this setup where you use Eldritch Blast in rotations. |
Helm of Balduran | This helmet synergizes well with Broodmother's Revenge to activate the 1d6 poison bonus. | |
Sarevok's Horned Helmet | Increases critical range for attack rolls. Why it's not the best? Well, the Helm of Balduran + Broodmother's Revenge is a better combo, if you are too lazy to heal before each encounter. Otherwise, equip this. | |
Cloak | Cloak of Displacement | Great way to avoid attacks and reduce the chance of enemy attacks landing. |
Cloak of Protection | The bonus armor class is great for better survivability. | |
Armor | Potent Robe | Gives a solid boost to Eldritch Blast damage. This will be the core cantrip in activating Ring of Arcane Synergy. |
Armour of Agility | The best medium armor in the game. It also does not limit your Armour class bonus from dexterity. Of course, using this compared to the options above will be a damage hit, but you may not use them for any particular reason, so suggesting this here. | |
Robe of Supreme Defences | A great robe that gives improved Saving Throws based on the spellcasting modifier. It is perfect if you like using a lot of concentration spells like Hunger of Hadar, Eyebite, etc. | |
Gloves | Helldusk Gloves | Very good gloves, but might be contested by other builds. Overall these would be a bit more powerful than Spellmight Gloves, as you could hit 4 times when hasted and inflict Bleed. |
Spellmight Gloves | These are great if you are using Eldritch Blast at least once per turn, the bonus damage stacks up well. | |
Legacy of the Masters | Gives bonuses to attack and damage rolls. However, this requires medium armor proficiency, so that is why they are lower in the rankings. | |
Daredevil Gloves | I did not use them in the build, but these could be excellent for casting Eldritch Blast in melee range. | |
Boots | Helldusk Boots | An alternative boot to Disintegrating Night Walkers. It's not better by any means just an alternative. |
Bonespike Boots | I would say this is an upgraded version of Evasive Shoes, just remember that the item does not work with armor. | |
Amulet | Broodmother's Revenge | The only amulet that gives a direct damage boost. |
Amulet of Greater Health | It could be used to improve the survivability of the build. If using it remember to set your constitution to 8 using respec. | |
Rings | Risky Ring | The best Ring, that you can get, to eliminate the effect of Great Weapon Master: All In. |
Ring of Arcane Synergy | You can use this together with Eldritch Blast, to empower your next melee attacks. Due to high Charisma, this will be 6-7 bonus damage per hit. |
Bhaalist Setup
This is the equipment that I recommend if you are going for no compromise high damage. I find it a bit tedious, but you cannot argue with huge damage numbers this does. This setup does forgo spellcasting, maybe an occasional Hunger of Hadar, but otherwise, you will do extremely high damage with normal hits.
Two-Handed
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (Two-Handed) | Shar's Spear of Evening | Plays well with Darkness as this weapon can activate it. It also gains bonus damage against the enemies in the shadows which doubles with Bhaalist Armour. |
Nyrulna | The piercing weapon is amazing as its damage will be doubled. Together with its unique actions, it makes it one of the best weapons for this setup. | |
Duellist's Prerogative | Technically not a two-handed weapon, but you will keep your offhand free. This is one of the best rapiers in the game, giving a way to attack with a bonus action. It is weaker than the above weapons because Great Weapon Master: All In bonus damage will not work (so you can drop it). However, the rapier is beautiful and offers a unique playstyle. |
Dual-Wielding
Remember to remove the Great Weapon Master: All In feat.
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Melee (Main-Hand) | Crimson Mischief | Together with Bhaalist Armour, this is one of the strongest combos, that will deal huge amounts of damage. |
Melee (Off-Hand) | Rhapsody | Amazing off-hand weapon that can give you bonus damage, attack rolls, and spell save DC. All in one! |
Infernal Rapier | If got your hands on this weapon it is an amazing one. However, it requires a Dual Wielder feat. You also get the spell Planar Ally: Cambion. | |
Belm | What makes it special is its Whirlwind Attack hitting multiple enemies for full damage. It also has a special bonus action attack, utilizing your main weapon stats instead. |
Remaining equipment
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Ranged | Hellrider Longbow | Excellent bow for higher initiative, allowing to go earlier in combat. |
The Dead Shot | Improves critical range for attack rolls. | |
Head | Diadem of Arcane Synergy | Requires you to inflict a condition for it to be activated. With Bhaalist Armour this is very easy to do. This gives bonus damage to weapon attacks from the spellcasting modifier. |
Helm of Balduran | This helmet synergizes well with Broodmother's Revenge to activate the 1d6 poison bonus. | |
Sarevok's Horned Helmet | The last option for Act 3 headwear. The crit range does give some bonus damage but it is very low. | |
Cloak | Cloak of Displacement | Great way to avoid attacks and reduce the chance of enemy attacks landing. |
Armor | Bhaalist Armour | Best armor as it doubles damage with Piercing weapons. This includes weapons like Nyrulna or Shar's Spear of Evening. You should use this one for the most powerful setup. |
Gloves | Helldusk Gloves | Very good gloves, but might be contested by other builds. Overall these would be a bit more powerful than Spellmight Gloves, as you could hit 4 times when hasted and inflict Bleed. |
Legacy of the Masters | Gives bonuses to attack and damage rolls. However, this requires medium armor proficiency, so that is why they are lower in the rankings. | |
Boots | Helldusk Boots | An alternative boot to Disintegrating Night Walkers. It's not better by any means just an alternative. |
Amulet | Broodmother's Revenge | The only amulet that gives a direct damage boost. |
Amulet of Greater Health | It could be used to improve the survivability of the build. If using it remember to set your constitution to 8 using respec. | |
Rings | Risky Ring | The best Ring, that you can get, to eliminate the effect of Great Weapon Master: All In. |
Caustic Band | Gives a bonus of 2 acid damage on weapon attacks. | |
Callous Glow Ring | Extra radiant damage rider. |
I do want to mention one combo, that you might be interested in trying:
Slot | Item | Description |
---|---|---|
Head | Helmet of Arcane Acuity | So with this combo, you can pump up Spell Save DC and get very high spell success chances. However, this combo is somewhat limited on Bladelock as it doesn't have multi-hit weapon attacks. |
Rings | Band of the Mystic Scoundrel |
Build Mechanics
In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Bladelock. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.
Important Mechanics and Combos
Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to effectively use the build.
Using any melee Weapon - Bind Pact Weapon
The main mechanic of Bladelock that allows it to be effective in weapon combat is the Bind Pact Weapon. This allows you to be proficient with any melee weapon and use Charisma as the main modifier instead of Strength or Dexterity.
With the recent patch, you need to apply it only once time and it persists even after a long rest. Just be sure to activate it on a newly equipped weapon.
Managing Great Weapon Master
One of the more important feats of the build is Great Weapon Master: All In. It gives a flat damage boost at the cost of decreased attack rolls. Generally, it is best to take this later in the game at level 8+, when you have higher attack bonuses and better gear.
However, if you can effectively use it at level 4, you will be able to easily kill most of the enemies you encounter, especially as it is easy to die in Act 1. So if you are up for putting in additional effort the benefits are immense. Here are the main ways to increase your attack rolls:
- Bless from Cleric or Paladin, for a 1d4 bonus.
- Spells like Faerie Fire, and Blindness give an advantage to attackers.
- Oil of Accuracy or Diluted Oil of Sharpness, for 1 and 2 attack roll bonus.
- Gloves of the Growling Underdog - can be obtained in Goblin Camp, and gives an advantage for attack rolls.
- Svartlebee's Woundseeker - early game greatsword that you can get before engaging in any of the major battles of Act 1.
Now, if you want more in-depth information, I have a guide covering how to increase attack rolls, which lists a lot of options and combinations. You can then pick the bonuses based on your party setup.
When to attack with melee
This is the main dilemma with Bladelock. As Warlock, you have access to some good actions like Eldritch Blast, Fireball, etc. So why even go into melee range? There is a coolness factor of course.
But the main reason is that with the correct setup, your damage will skyrocket. Remember at level 5 you unluck Deepened Pact, which gives a second attack. Then you get various buffs from Great Weapon Master: All In, weapon modifiers, Lifedrinker, etc.
So the melee damage will deal substantially more at least for single targets. However, if you see a group of enemies. Don't risk yourself either use something like Hunger of Hadar, Confusion, or Fireball and use melee to finish them off.
Darkness with Devils Sight
Using Darkness spells with Warlock is one of the ways to guarantee success. You will of course need Devil's Sight Eldritch Invocation. Once you have it, you can stay inside and either attack with Eldritch Blast, cast spells, or wait for enemies to come and bash them with advantage, while they are blind.
This can also be empowered by items like Shar's Spear of Evening, which gets bonus damage and can create its darkness field.
Managing Armour Class
This is an important topic for Bladelock. As a caster, you may think that being on the frontlines will put you at high risk, and you are right. However, there are options to get a good Armour Class and feel safe when battling foes face to face.
First, if you can, early on use Medium Armour. This requires proficiency and is a decent protection without many worries. This is of course, not mandatory, and the robe can be as strong:
- Cast Mage Armour with other characters or Armour of Shadows Eldritch Invocation.
- Having 16 dexterity gives +3 Armour Class.
- Bracers of Defence, early game +2 Armour Class.
So this is 18 Armour Class, which is better than any Heavy Armor for most of Act 1. As you progress, you will get some better robes, more items with Armour Class, and stronger spells to control your foes.
Eldritch Blast usage
This is one of the most iconic actions that Warlock can do. When playing, I recommend using Eldritch Blast in these situations:
- When you are not able to reach the enemy by running
- You are in the Darkness field and want to snipe your foes.
- You are playing Honour Mode, and are Hasted (have two action points).
The last one is important, as it will make it so that your Eldritch Blast uses the "Hasted" action, and the primary one which results in two attacks is left. For the difficulties below, you will want to concentrate on Melee attacks most of the time.
Early Game Combat
Let's cover how you should progress combat levels 1-6.
- Hex is a great way to get use of your bonus action until you unlock Great Weapon Master: All In.
- Try to maintain a 75%+ hit chance with two-handed weapons once you get Great Weapon Master: All In. This can be done by getting an advantage. This is when your weapon damage will surpass other damage options for now.
- Use Eldritch Blast when you cannot reach your foe.
- Cast area-of-effect spells like Cloud of Daggers or Fireball when enemies are stuck together.
- Use Darkness + Devil's Sight for some difficult combat encounters like Githyanki's, or Orc Camp.
Late Game Combat
This is where things get interesting, especially in Act 3. I will cover here the Eldritch Blast combo mainly, as this requires some precise steps.
- Be sure to get Haste from the caster, Darkfire Shortbow, Gontr Mael, or just Potion of Speed before combat or before your turn. This will be a big damage boost not only in terms of the number of attacks but also from the Arcane Synergy buff.
- Cast Eldritch Blast to activate the Ring of Arcane Synergy and enable Arcane Synergy buff. This will give bonus weapon damage based on the Charisma modifier.
- After this, you can follow up with 2 Attacks from the Action point and 1 from the Great Weapon Master: Bonus Attack.
- If using Elixir of Bloodlust, the new action point can be used for another Eldritch Blast, which would yield more damage than one weapon hit (on Honour Mode)
Now, this is not the best option always. Sometimes, you could do a preparation round, for example, cast Hunger of Hadar, consume a potion of speed, and get ready for the next round to unleash full fury.
And of course, if you see 4-5 enemies stack together, just cast Fireball, Wall of Fire, and see them burn. There is nothing more satisfying than these spells.
Build Variations
There are a few variations that the build could be changed about. I think it is more for advanced players who are likely doing some deeper optimizations.
Setup | Description |
---|---|
|
People love Fighter Lv 2. It's hard to argue with Action Surge. I would not go with this option, as this removes the third spell slot, and it is a huge improvement for fights that take two or more turns. |
Lockadin Build (Tactician and Balanced difficulties):
|
This is the strongest Paladin multiclass in difficulties below Honour Mode. The three attacks per action using Extra Attack and Deepened Pact is just too good to pass up. |
Bardlock (Tactician and Balanced difficulties)
|
This setup also exploits the stacking of extra attacks from both classes. This is a good setup and a perfect party face with access to various spells and excellent combat prowess. |
Conclusion
Thank you for reading the best Bladelock Warlock build for Baldur's Gate 3. I have great enjoyment writing this build, as Warlock is one of the most popular classes. Making it work with a melee setup was somewhat of a challenge, but I am extremely happy with the results.
I hope you will find all you need to make Melee Warlock effective in combat and how to progress through the game.
Cheers!
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