Summary
The warlock is an iconic and powerful class fromDungeons & Dragons' fifth edition, and its counterpart inBaldur’s Gate 3lives up to its reputation. The unique spells warlocks gain access to, fromeldritch blasttoHunger of Hadar, make them powerful damage dealers and controllers in combat.Baldur’s Gate 3’s focus on Charisma checks and battlefield control has only made the warlock class feel even stronger.
Butone thingmissing fromBaldur’s Gate 3is a certain subclass that has become synonymous with the warlockfor its power and unique mode of play: the Hexblade. Hexblade warlocks inDnDgain a number of features that make them adept melee fighters and close-range damage dealers. They gain access to spells likeshieldandbanishing smite, but thereal power of Hexbladeslies in their core feature: using their Charisma instead of Strength or Dexterity when they make attack and damage rolls.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Warlock Multiclass Build
Tome Warlocks multiclassed with College of Lore Bards are powerful in Baldur’s Gate 3. They have a huge spell selection and fast spell slots.
How Baldur’s Gate 3 Reworks The Idea Of The Hexblade
Using Charisma For Attack & Damage Rolls Is Available To All Warlock Subclasses
InDnD, this feature alone makes the Hexblade stand out as one of the most powerful warlock subclass options, as well as the most popular among players by far.Baldur’s Gate 3includes three subclasses for the warlock: the Fiend, the Archfey, and the Great Old One. Each is powerful in its own right, buttheir tabletop versions pale in comparison to the Hexblade, which is likely the exact reason that the subclass was not included inBaldur’s Gate 3, and instead had its key feature made available to all warlocks.
Wyll is, by default, a warlock inBaldur’s Gate 3with the Fiend pact as his subclass.
The ability to use Charisma for melee attacks and damage rolls was added to the Pact of the Bladeability all warlocks have access to. Now, no matter their subclass, this core ability can be gained by any warlock and used to their considerable advantage. This means each of the subclasses are on a more even footing with one another, and each is more powerful than they are inDnD5e.
One D&D Should Copy BG3’s Warlock Changes
Balance Out Hexblade’s Dominance In 5e
Wizards of the Coast is getting ready to release the next version ofDungeons & Dragons, known as One D&D, andthis would be a great time to update the warlock class to make this mechanic fromBaldur’s Gate 3official. Playtests ofUnearthed Arcanasuggested these changes, and they are likely to be in effect when thePlayer’s Handbookreleases later in 2024. It does make sense for the Charisma change to be a part of the Pact of the Blade feature anyway, since without it, the feature can feel fairly weak and ineffective. This change would give warlocks a power boost on the whole, and even the ground between Hexblades and other subclasses.
This could even be used as a reason to give hexblades a more interesting ability at level one, something to augment the damage type of their weapon or maybe have it transform in some way during combat. Warlocks are fairly strong as they are, butthey often end up pigeonholed into just castingeldritch blast. This change fromBaldur’s Gate 3would provideDungeons & Dragonswarlocks with some extra versatility and at least one more viable option in combat.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur’s Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
