Do you want to experiment with the character who is the most likely to cheat their way into final exams? Or do you like roleplaying the dynamics of being a good-aligned character being empowered by an evil being?

If you like all these things, creating a Gnome Warlock could be the right move for you.

The Gnome race AND the Warlock class can be found in the Player’s Handbook. Click here to pick up your own copy of The Player’s Handbook!

How to Make a Gnome Warlock

Why choose the Gnome race for your Warlock? Gnomes are bright, nimble, and curious. Depending on the subrace, they’re naturally inventive or stealthy. If you want to get the ideal subrace for a Warlock, it would be the Forest Gnome. Forest Gnomes have the Natural Illusionist ability, which can help you play a trickster Warlock. The extra Dexterity point also helps you stay ahead in initiative and AC. 

When rolling the character, make Charisma your highest stat. Constitution should be the second-highest stat. This will help keep your health up. 

Next, choose a patron for your Warlock. Try to speak with your Dungeon Master about this, since he or she provides a patron weaved into the story. If you want to deal the most damage in combat, choose a fiend for a patron.

How to Play a Gnome Warlock

When you get caught in combat, your best weapons as a Warlock are your Pact Magic and Eldritch Invocations. As you increase your Warlock level, you gain access to more powerful spells. When you begin, and likely as you progress, use eldritch blast as your go-to spell.

Warlocks are adaptable in combat. Use a melee weapon and buff it in combat. You can also stick to your spells and use Eldritch Blast to deal damage and support your team. If you want to be extra effective in battle, try switching between these strategies. 

The Pact Boon you choose is also an effective tool in battle. The Pact of the Blade lets you call forth or summon any magical weapon. The Pact of the Tome lets you take any three cantrips from other spell lists. The Pact of the Chain gives you a familiar, which can take actions and aid your team when in battle.

How to Roleplay as a Gnome Warlock

In terms of roleplaying, a Gnome Warlock presents many interesting opportunities. Your pact can be like the traditional one, being like that of an acolyte and god. You can make a bargain with a bored elder god so you can exact vengeance on an offender. Your character can even be clueless about the deal she just made with a powerful entity. There are no limits to how you struck the deal or pact.

Use this method of deal-making as a basis of your character’s personality. Another useful way to bring a character to life is to base his personality on his stats. Story-wise, your patron grants you powers because of the intense charisma that you possess. You can play this in-game as a masterful weaver of words, lies, or stories.