Vestige Patron Warlock: D&D 2024 (5.5e) Optimisation Guide

Draw upon the powers of a dying god with this companion warlock subclass from Arcana Unleashed.

At a glance

What’s changed since the playtest?

If you checked out the mystic playtest earlier this year, the vestige patron should feel fairly familiar. It changes a bit at later levels, but the essence of the subclass is still very much the same. That’s good as I rated it as a solid and flavourful subclass back then and stand by that with the final release. Below is everything that’s changed since the playtest:

• Vestige power: Now share your vestige companion’s damage resistance when nearby.

• Vestige recovery: Previously created an aura of protective effects for a few hours and could recover you from falling to 0HP if within that aura. Now its simpler, granting the vestige companion more resilience by letting it fully recover from dropping to 0HP once.
• Semblance of life: Now lasts 1 hour instead of 1 minute, is no longer cast as a summon spell (the main benefit of this being that it no longer requires concentration) and the vestige companion gains a load of temporary hit points.

Vestige patron features

Vestige companion (Lv3) – 5/5

You get a companion you can command around with a bonus action. This equates to a bonus action attack and occasionally an extra power plus another sack of hit points for enemies to deal with. Of course, once your companion is gone, so is your bonus action damage boost so keeping your vestige companion alive is important.

For this reason, you might want to stick to ranged attacks, but the vestige companion could also be a good option for soaking up attacks too. There’s nothing stopping you mixing both tactics depending on how battered your companion is though.

Your choice of companion may come down primarily to the divine power you want. They’re all solid, but I’d maybe suggest that fiendish swap is a bit more situational and cursed invocation is best on melee builds. Healing will always be useful though, especially as it can revive you if you hit 0HP. It’ll also only take until level 6 to be using this most encounters.

As a comparison, the vestige companion is probably most like the beast of the sky primal companion for the beast master ranger. That will get a second attack at level 11 and flyby, but this has its occasional bonus action boost. The vestige companion can also speak, this makes it a better scout as it can report back information more easily and it deals a little more damage on its one attack. Overall, the vestige companion is probably slightly better until level 11.

Vestige spells (Lv3) – 4/5

Warlock level	Life	Light	Trickery	War
3	Aid, bless, cure wounds, lesser restoration	Burning hands, faerie fire, scorching ray, see invisibility	Charm person, disguise self, invisibility, pass without trace	Guiding bolt, magic weapon, shield of faith, spiritual weapon
5	Mass healing word, revivify	Daylight, fireball	Hypnotic pattern, non-detection	Crusader’s mantle, spirit guardians
7	Aura of life, death ward	Arcane eye, wall of fire	Confusion, dimension door	Fire shield, freedom of movement
9	Greater restoration, mass cure wounds	Flame strike, scrying	Dominate person modify memory	Hold monster, steel wind strike

These are 4 full subclass spell lists you have the choice of picking from. Each spell list happens to be quite good in its own way. However, I’d probably lean less towards the life domain. The spell list is pretty strong, but if you’re going to go for the party healer, you’ll be stuck with very few spells slots to do so (though the healing will be profound with those slots) but you’ll likely need to be relied on for multiple healings in some combats which will be tricky with your limited spell slots. The other issue is a couple of your best options here are healing word and mass healing word which both require bonus actions and will compete for commanding your vestige companion.

War domain has a similar issue with shield of faith and spiritual weapon, but at least these spells will last an encounter. War may be worth picking just for spirit guardians though which being upcast and an encounter length spell is excellent for a bladelock build.

The other 2 spell lists will work nicely across the board though and war domain could still be worth it for a blade build in particular.

Vestige power (Lv6) – 3/5

Using that bonus action power more often is going to be decently useful, even if it’s just there for some extra healing.

Vestige recovery (Lv10) – 3/5

Your vestige companion can last a lot longer now. While it was never a problem reviving it between encounters, you’d always want it to last an entire encounter where possible and this helps facilitate that. In fact, you might even be able to use it more as a meat shield at this point with 44 hit points, easy recovery between encounters and now full recovery from hitting 0HP once per long rest.

Semblance of life (Lv14) – 5/5

This will temporarily get you a much more powerful vestige companion. You’ll be using the stat blocks based on a level 7+ casting of these summons which means 3 attacks, 60-75 temporary hit points and a bunch of other boosts. Just be aware that it may lose its ability to fly depending on the creature type your vestige companion transforms into.

There’s some interesting uses for this enhanced companion too. For example, putrid undead can easily cause poisoned and paralyzed conditions or the radiant defender can be used to keep topping up allies with temporary hit points. Plus you get all these benefits without having to use your concentration.

How good is the vestige patron warlock?

The vestige patron is a really solid, companion subclass. You’re not getting too much different from a beast master other than one less attack, a slightly better scout, more resilience and a few extra abilities (plus an evolved version of your companion at level 14).

That’s no bad thing though. The beast master is another solid subclass and works well for a companion class. I would say that the warlock perhaps works better here as rangers already are notorious for having an overburdened bonus action whereas warlocks do not.

4/5

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Building a vestige patron warlock

Vestige patron warlocks still function in a similar way to most warlocks and are quite a flexible subclass that can work as a blade build or a ranged build. I’d perhaps suggest that the presence of your meat shield companion makes it a little easier to survive as a blade build, especially with teleportation out of danger or some light healing available.

Ability scores

Recommended options

• Charisma: This will improve your spells, subclass features, face skills and even your weapon attacks if you take pact of the blade. It will also improve your vestige companion.
• Dexterity: You’ll need this to get your AC in a decent state as you’re limited to light armor for your AC. This is even more crucial for a blade build.
• Constitution: Again, you’ll need this to toughen up, especially if you’re heading into melee.

Options to avoid

• Strength: Just take pact of the blade to use charisma for weapon attacks or use spells. No need for strength.
• Intelligence: You don’t need intelligence.
• Wisdom: Only good for some saving throws and skills.

Ability score	Point Buy	Standard Array
Strength	8	10
Dexterity	15	14
Constitution	15	13
Intelligence	8	8
Wisdom	8	12
Charisma	15	15

Skills

Recommended options

• Deception: One of the best face skills, especially if you intend on lying a lot.
• Intimidation: Alright face skill as long as you’re not playing a gentle character.
• Persuasion: Warlocks don’t gain persuasion proficiency from their class, but I’d recommend grabbing it through your background, feats or species as you’ll likely play the party face and this will be important.

Species/race

I’d consider the following when picking a species for a vestige patron warlock:

• Safety first: Warlocks aren’t that durable and you may be jumping into the front lines so anything that makes you tougher will be welcome.
• Innate spellcasting: More spells and spell uses is hugely useful to warlocks who have a sparse set of spells.

Recommended options

• Changeling (2024): A great option for a party face as you have enhanced charisma ability checks and you can easily impersonate someone by shapechanging. You’ll need a high charisma to pull this off though.
• Dragonborn (2024): If you go down the melee build route, this can be great. Take devouring and thirsting blade for extra weapon attacks, then use your breath weapon in place of one of those attacks. A resistance is good for durability and occasional flight is good for those times when you do need to retreat and attack from a distance.
• Dwarves (2024): Dwarves are all about their hardiness so a great option for a typically vulnerable melee build.
• Elves (2024): Lots of extra spells to cast. The High Elf is a good option for misty step which you can use to get yourself out of danger easily.
• Human (2024): Great for a party face as you’ll need extra skills (you could even go for the skilled origin feat If your party is looking light on skills). You’ll also get a steady supply of heroic inspiration which is always useful.
• Tiefling (2024): I’d go for an Infernal Tiefling for the darkness spell (which works well with the appropriately named devil’s sight). You’ll also get fire resistance which is one of the more common damage types.
• Warforged (2024): A great option for more durability with improved AC, resistances and more.

Backgrounds

Your background will give you an origin feat, ability score increases and skill and tool proficiencies.

As a potential party face with very few skills, grabbing the right background can be important. The most important thing though, is to ensure you have the right ability score improvements (charisma, then one of dexterity or constitution).

Below I’ve included the backgrounds that could work well for a vestige warlock.

Name	Ability scores	Origin feat	Skill proficiencies	Tool proficiency
Charlatan	Dexterity, constitution, charisma	Skilled	Deception, sleight of hand	Forgery kit
Entertainer	Strength, dexterity, charisma	Musician	Acrobatics, performance	One kind of musical instrument
Hermit	Constitution, wisdom, charisma	Healer	Medicine, religion	Herbalism kit
Merchant	Constitution, intelligence, charisma	Lucky	Animal handling, persuasion	Navigator’s tools
Shadowmoor expert (LFL)	Dexterity, intelligence, charisma	Shadowmoor hexer	Acrobatics, deception	Glassblower’s tools
Wayfarer	Dexterity, wisdom, charisma	Lucky	Insight, stealth	Thieves’ tools

Merchant will get you persuasion and lucky, both great options, but charlatan is also a good choice with the skilled feat allowing you to grab persuasion and could allow you to play both a party face and a backup rogue.

Feats

At 1st level, you can grab an origin feat through your background and from level 4, you can pick up a general feat (or another origin feat if you want) instead of an ability score increase.

I’d suggest the following feats for a vestige warlock:

Origin feats

• Lucky – A good feat for any character.
• Magic initiate – Grab more spells from another class. Great for warlocks that tend to lack in spell options.
• Musician – Grant everyone in the party a regular supply of heroic inspiration.
• Savage attacker – Good if you’re going for a melee build for better attacks.
• Shadowmoor hexer – Warlocks tend to have enough attacks to justify using hex a fair bit. This makes hex even better and gives you an additional casting (which is particularly handy for a warlock). 
• Skilled – This will help you make up the deficit in skills for a party face or even a backup rogue. Warlocks can be effective rogues with decent charisma and some nice supplemental spells and face skills.
• Tough – Will make you more durable as a vulnerable melee character.

General feats

• Actor – A good option if you want to play an impersonator. Pointless if you don’t.
• Fey-touched – 2 more spells prepared and 2 free castings expands your repertoire nicely. Misty step works well for getting out of danger.
• Inspiring leader – Go for the charisma increase and bestow temporary hit points on the party each rest. A good idea to have someone in your party with this.
• Lightly armored – Grab shield proficiency for extra durability.
• Mage slayer – Get better at dealing with mages plus a form of legendary resistance.
• Polearm master – Use a polearm as your pact weapon and get bonus action attacks and easier reaction attacks which can then be enhanced by your grave touched damage boost.
• Ritual caster – Can really expand your spell repertoire for some utility spells, plus they don’t require spell slots when cast as rituals.
• Resilient – Grab constitution proficiency to help with concentration saving throws.
• Skill expert – Get really good at a face skill like persuasion or deception (or any other skills).
• Shadow-touched – 2 free castings of spells expands your spell castings nicely and invisible is a great option.
• War caster – Will help you maintain hex and other spells when you’re getting hit a decent bit.
• Weapon master – Great for melee builds and something like push will make it easy to engage in hit and run tactics without using spells slots on something like misty step.
• Zhentarim tactics – Another way to gain more common opportunity attacks. This can work well for a blade build.

Weapons

If you don’t choose pact of the blade, your spells will easily outperform weapons for damage. Especially if you take the agonising blast eldritch invocation.

You could go for a blade build if you take pact of the blade. Two weapon fighting won’t be optimal, nor will ranged weaponry (including thrown weapons). Your best option will be a two handed weapon for maximum damage, or taking lightly armored for shield proficiency and grabbing a single handed weapon.

Armor

Studded leather is your best armor option. You can also grab lightly armored for shield proficiency if you want to be even tougher.

Alternatively, grab the armor of shadows eldritch invocation and use mage armor without expending spell slots. It’s 1 AC better than studded leather and can be used without spell slots and concentration so you could just continuously cast it.

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