Warlock Class


Homebrew and House Rules


Hey guys Have a player who wants to play a 3.5 warlock in Pathfinder. Don't know the class that well and only Warlock I found from a 3PP didn't have the same feel. So anyone have a good Pathfinder Warlock class done, not just suggestions because I have to convert the class to my house rules as it is. Or do you think the 3.5 version can fit fine in Pathfinder as is(power level and such)? Thanks for any help.

Scarab Sages

There have been many stabs taken on these very boards to update the Warlock to Pathfinder. Shop around - SmiloDan and Master Arminas stand out as two names on here who do a lot of that and are very good at what they do (I do it too, but I haven't made anything public yet).

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I recommend the kineticist with the void element. I know the class has a very Avatar-like feel. However, it's mechanically similar, but much more fleshed out than the 3.5e warlock. You could easily refluff it as a mage with weird eldritch powers.

I'm currently designing a class that's like a warlock mixed with an eldritch witchdoctor, but it's not ready for playtesting yet.

And there have been attempts to update the warlock. I'd point you to one, but I can't think of any recommendations off the top of my head. Just make sure it's complete as most of the warlock homebrews I reviewed were unfinished.


3.5 warlock should be usable in Pathfinder without too many problems, though it might end being underpowered comparing to other characters - depending upon exact party composition and players' skills.

The HD should be upped to d8, and it almost certainly needs more skill points (4 or maybe even 6 + Int modifier).

Eldritch bolt should get fully regular progression of 1d6 damage at 1st level plus 1d6 per two levels above 1st, without the irregularities starting at 13th level.

There are more changes to be made to make it more fitting, though.

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Cyrad, I'm sorry, but no. The kineticist is a very fiddly, very complicated attempt at something along the lines of the warlock, at least functionally, with an elemental bend rather than via pacts from demons, fey, celestials, or whatnot.

Most people I've seen that want to play 3.5 warlocks want a class that is simple but cool, and the kineticist is *anything* but simple. Very cool, very capable, but not simple in the slightest. "Here, you get to recalculate every combat bonus you have every time you take burn. Also here's burn to keep track of, and you get to always keep track of how many nonlethal hp you've taken this round." Even in a 3.5 D&D-descended game, the class is a bit ridiculous, mechanically. I mean, maybe if your player is a tax accountant it's simple, but otherwise there's just too much arithmetic for most people.

Andre, look for one of the conversions, as I'm Hiding In Your Closet said.


master arminas warlock convertionits good but needs to have the invocations put into three different catagories with the ability to use up to two different catagories at a time(effect,shape and damage type)


Kvantum wrote:
The kineticist is a very fiddly, very complicated attempt at something along the lines of the warlock

I don't see how. It's honestly one of the simplest classes in the entire game. Straight forward, direct options, easy to build, hard to screw up. Literally as simple as it gets.

If the kineticist is too math heavy to handle then I shudder to think what you do to people who casts buffs at your table.


swoosh wrote:
Kvantum wrote:
The kineticist is a very fiddly, very complicated attempt at something along the lines of the warlock

I don't see how. It's honestly one of the simplest classes in the entire game. Straight forward, direct options, easy to build, hard to screw up. Literally as simple as it gets.

If the kineticist is too math heavy to handle then I shudder to think what you do to people who casts buffs at your table.

kenetisist is very complicated imo i took a look at it and was like FTN making a wizard or archanist or oracle is simpler than them plus they dont have the problem of one elemental immunity shuts down the class which is why the warlock is better it does untyped touch attacks


WOW that was fast thanks guys keep the ideas coming it really helps.


The question I have to ask is: what is it about the warlock that the player wants? Is it the all-day magic? the pact theme? The one invocation where you turn into a swarm of bats? The answer to that will help steer you in one direction or another. If we're looking at replicating a very particular build, it might get to the point of just tweaking the 3.5 class. Drejk's suggestions are a solid start.

If we're open to more broad suggestions (3pp in particular), Spheres of Power might be a good route. The Thaumaturge, in particular, is intended for characters focused on a limited set of powers (comparable in number to a warlock's invocations) and a spooky, forbidden magic theme. It's not a perfect match, as there is still a pool of spell points used to enhance abilities, but it's an idea.


Its mostly about role play. He's a Tifling criminal (con-man really) he's neutral but wants some good magical edge to help his Rogue levels, and thought the Pact would be good for his concept as demon blood flows in him but he's not evil. Ultimate con on a fiend.

I've worked it out story wise (we are playing Rise of the Rune Lords Burnt Offerings) and a Fiend is against Nala becoming a Tifling herself. We agreed that Fey wouldn't car, elder ones wouldn't care, and most Gods have better things to do. So we worked it out up to 'damn I've never really used a Warlock before much less seen it done for Pathfinder'.


Gotcha. Sounds like a sorceror with an appropriate bloodline would technically work, maybe that warlocky vigilante archetype, but if you want to reliably get the latent fiendish abilities vibe without working around components and spell failure chance, thaumaturge would still be a good way to go. It's also a lot friendlier to multiclassing with non-casting rogue levels.


the warlock convertion i linked doesn't need a pact so theres that

Scarab Sages

Andre Caceres wrote:
Hey guys Have a player who wants to play a 3.5 warlock in Pathfinder. Don't know the class that well and only Warlock I found from a 3PP didn't have the same feel. So anyone have a good Pathfinder Warlock class done, not just suggestions because I have to convert the class to my house rules as it is. Or do you think the 3.5 version can fit fine in Pathfinder as is(power level and such)? Thanks for any help.

Forrest Heck is a really talented 3pp designer working on a Warlock inspired class called The Avowed. It's still in playtest but it's a very robust playtest and would definitely suit what you're looking for.

There's also the vigilante Warlock archetype that kinda sorta covers that base, though it might end up feeling a little weak depending on your group and player's level of system mastery. Still, does the magic, blastiness, lots of skills, etc.

If you grab Spheres of Power, that has a couple warlock-y options, like the Elementalist, Thaumaturge, and Fey Adept, and really the toolbox it provides is deep enough to build almost any of the classes into a warlock style blaster.

The Occultist from Occult Adventures can do the warlock bit pretty well with the right implements, though it's more of a magical skill-monkey who happens to have some facility for blasting with the right options.

As others have mentioned, the Kineticist pretty much is Paizo's version of the warlock, built off the same premise and even using some almost identical abilities.


Ssalarn wrote:

There's also the vigilante Warlock archetype that kinda sorta covers that base, though it might end up feeling a little weak depending on your group and player's level of system mastery. Still, does the magic, blastiness, lots of skills, etc.

the warlock vigilante sucks so much tho its completly shut down by a creature with energy resist 5-10 to 3 or 4 elements

Scarab Sages

Lady-J wrote:
Ssalarn wrote:

There's also the vigilante Warlock archetype that kinda sorta covers that base, though it might end up feeling a little weak depending on your group and player's level of system mastery. Still, does the magic, blastiness, lots of skills, etc.

the warlock vigilante sucks so much tho its completly shut down by a creature with energy resist 5-10 to 3 or 4 elements

Yeah, there was a reason I didn't push that one too hard and mentioned that it could feel weak depending on group system mastery. It's there, but probably not the best option, though you never know what's going to click for a given group or player.

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Warlock fans might also want to keep an eye on Kobold Press this spring ... say around May or so ... :)


I'm real excited to see the results! I love peoples interpretations on the class.

So, I suppose this is as good as any time to plug my own take. It is dense.

It's still in a beta state. I'm planning on coming back and reconfiguring it, and properly edit the damn thing from draft form. There is some atrocious wording in places. And I am not satisfied with some abilities as they are. So I won't release a new edition until I can safely call it 2.0, and give it a new thread. And put it into a decent format rather than have it languish as a google document XP


Have you considered the Avowed from Forrest fire Studios? It's the best warlock clone this side of the mississipi

Scarab Sages

Here's a great Pathfinder-ized Warlock.

I don't care for the Kineticist, personally - you can't say it doesn't have some similar mechanics to the Warlock, but for my money, it just isn't the same.

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