How Eldritch Invocations Work in 5e
Eldritch Invocations are the Warlock's pick-list of permanent powers. You get one at level 1, three at level 2, and ten by level 18. Some have a prerequisite (a Warlock level, a pact, or a damage cantrip). Each time you gain a Warlock level you can swap one for another you qualify for. Most of them do one of three things: make Eldritch Blast hit harder, turn you into a melee fighter, or let you cast a spell forever without a slot. Below: the rules quoted, the count by level, and what the main choices are worth at level 5.
The rule
You gain one invocation of your choice, such as Pact of the Tome. Invocations are described in the "Eldritch Invocation Options" section later in this class's description.
Prerequisites. If an invocation has a prerequisite, you must meet it to learn that invocation.
On swapping, the SRD says you can replace one invocation "with another one for which you qualify" whenever you gain a Warlock level, with one limit:
You can't replace an invocation if it's a prerequisite for another invocation that you have.
So Pact of the Blade stays while you hold Thirsting Blade. Drop Thirsting Blade first, then the pact on a later level.
How many you have
| Warlock level | Invocations |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2–4 | 3 |
| 5–6 | 5 |
| 7–8 | 6 |
| 9–11 | 7 |
| 12–14 | 8 |
| 15–17 | 9 |
| 18–20 | 10 |
Level 2 and level 5 are the big jumps. Level 5 is also when most of the stronger options open, so plan for it.
The three pacts
Pact of the Blade, Pact of the Chain and Pact of the Tome are invocations too, with no prerequisite, so a level 1 Warlock can take one.
- Blade. A Bonus Action conjures a melee weapon you are proficient with, and "you can use your Charisma modifier for the attack and damage rolls instead of using Strength or Dexterity". It opens Thirsting Blade, Eldritch Smite and Lifedrinker.
- Chain. You learn Find Familiar and cast it "without expending a spell slot", with extra forms: Imp, Pseudodragon, Quasit, Skeleton, Sphinx of Wonder, Sprite or Venomous Snake. When you take the Attack action you can give up one of your attacks so the familiar attacks with its Reaction. How Find Familiar Works covers the base spell.
- Tome. A Book of Shadows with three cantrips and two level 1 Ritual spells "from any class's spell list", prepared while you carry it. It opens Gift of the Protectors at level 9.
Blast or blade at level 5
Take a level 5 Warlock with Charisma 16: +6 to hit, +3 damage. The target is a Goblin Warrior, AC 15 and 10 HP. Eldritch Blast fires two beams at level 5 ("Make a separate attack roll for each beam"). Agonizing Blast adds "your Charisma modifier to that spell's damage rolls", so +3 per beam. Thirsting Blade gives "the Extra Attack feature for your pact weapon only", two swings with a Greatsword (2d6) as the pact weapon.
| Turn | Picks | Damage | Drops |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blast | 0 | 7.15 | 31.6% |
| + Agonizing Blast | 1 | 10.75 | 56.1% |
| + Agonizing + Hex | 1 | 15.30 | 73.0% |
| Blade ×2 (Thirsting) | 2 | 12.70 | 65.6% |
| Blade ×2 + Hex | 2 | 17.25 | 79.9% |
Picks is invocations spent. Each beam and each swing hits 60% of the time. Hex adds 1d6 Necrotic per hit, but it costs a level 1 slot and Concentration, and you cast it with a Bonus Action.
The blade wins on damage by about 2 a turn. The blast wins on everything else: one invocation instead of two, 120 feet of range instead of 5, and no goblin standing next to you. A Warlock has Light armor and a d8 Hit Die, so the reach matters. The full beam and cantrip math is in Cantrip Scaling.
Riders on the blast
- Repelling Blast. "When you hit a Large or smaller creature with that cantrip, you can push the creature up to 10 feet straight away from you." Per beam. At level 5 at least one beam hits 84% of the time, both 36%, for a 20-foot shove.
- Eldritch Spear. Range grows by "30 times your Warlock level": Eldritch Blast reaches 270 feet at level 5, 450 at 11 and 720 at 20.
Darkness and Devil's Sight
You can see normally in Dim Light and Darkness—both magical and nonmagical—within 120 feet of yourself.
Cast the Darkness spell, a level 2 Warlock spell whose magical Darkness "Darkvision can't see through", and stand in it. The SRD's Unseen Attackers rule:
When a creature can't see you, you have Advantage on attack rolls against it.
And attacks against a target you can't see have Disadvantage. Your beams go from 60% to 84% each. Agonizing Blast at level 5 then averages 15.35 a turn and drops the goblin 81.0% of the time, close to Hex, with no Hex. Darkness also takes Concentration, so it's one or the other. Your allies can't see in it either. More on light in Vision and Light.
Spells without a slot
Many invocations let you cast a spell "without expending a spell slot", as often as you like:
| Invocation | Spell | Level needed |
|---|---|---|
| Armor of Shadows | Mage Armor (on yourself) | 1 |
| Mask of Many Faces | Disguise Self | 2 |
| Misty Visions | Silent Image | 2 |
| Otherworldly Leap | Jump (on yourself) | 2 |
| Fiendish Vigor | False Life (on yourself, max roll) | 2 |
| Ascendant Step | Levitate (on yourself) | 5 |
| Master of Myriad Forms | Alter Self | 5 |
| One with Shadows | Invisibility (in Dim Light or Darkness) | 5 |
| Whispers of the Grave | Speak with Dead | 7 |
| Visions of Distant Realms | Arcane Eye | 9 |
Two worth checking against the numbers:
- Armor of Shadows gives AC 13 + Dex. With Dexterity 14 that is 15, against 14 in Studded Leather. One point of AC, plus no armor to buy.
- Fiendish Vigor skips the roll on False Life's 2d4 + 4: always 12 Temporary Hit Points instead of 9 on average. It costs your action, so cast it before a fight.
The rest worth knowing
- Eldritch Mind. "Advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain Concentration." With Constitution 14, a DC 10 save goes from 65% to 87.75%. If you live on Hex or Darkness, this protects them. Concentration has the full DC table.
- Lessons of the First Ones (level 2) gives an Origin feat, and you can take it more than once. See Origin Feats.
- Gift of the Depths (level 5): breathe underwater, a Swim Speed and one free Water Breathing per Long Rest.
- Witch Sight (level 15): Truesight to 30 feet.
A level 5 build
Five invocations: Agonizing Blast, Repelling Blast, Eldritch Mind, Armor of Shadows, Devil's Sight. That covers damage, control, Concentration and AC, with everything from 120 feet away. To go melee instead, swap Repelling Blast and Devil's Sight for Pact of the Blade and Thirsting Blade. Your slots are covered in How Warlock Pact Magic Works.
Odds are exact d20 and dice counts. Rules and stat blocks from the SRD 5.2.1: Warlock class, Eldritch Invocation Options, Eldritch Blast, Hex, Darkness, Mage Armor, False Life, Unseen Attackers and Targets, Concentration, Studded Leather Armor and the Goblin Warrior.
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 ("SRD 5.2.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
