Great Old One Warlock Guide for Beginners: Mastering the Eldritch Mind in D&D 5e

The Great Old One Warlock is a spellcaster who has made a pact with an unfathomable, cosmic entity, drawing power from beings beyond mortal comprehension. Introduced in the Player’s Handbook, this subclass is perfect for players who want to wield mind-bending abilities, communicate telepathically, and manipulate enemies with eldritch magic.

Unlike other Warlocks, Great Old One Warlocks excel at mental domination, deception, and knowledge beyond the grasp of reality, making them one of the most unique and mysterious Warlock subclasses in D&D 5e. If you love the idea of whispering maddening truths into the minds of your enemies, twisting fate with eldritch power, and manipulating the battlefield through telepathy and psychic spells, this subclass is for you!

Why Play a Great Old One Warlock?

Key Benefits

• Best Warlock for Telepathy & Mind Control – Dominate creatures with psychic abilities.
• Expanded Spell List Focused on Mental Manipulation – Spells like Tasha’s Mind Whip, Phantasmal Force, and Dominate Person.
• Powerful Psychic Protection – Become immune to mind-reading and gain resistance to psychic damage.
• Excels at Social & Combat Manipulation – Use telepathy, illusions, and mental control to dominate encounters.
• Perfect for Eldritch Horror Roleplay – Play as a cultist, forbidden scholar, or being touched by unknowable horrors.

Compared to other Warlocks, Great Old One Warlocks offer the best mix of mind-control magic, deception, and battlefield control.

Core Features

Key Mechanics and Abilities

Expanded Spell List (Great Old One Bonus Spells)

• Gain access to additional spells focused on mind magic and deception:
  • Dissonant Whispers, Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (3rd)
  • Detect Thoughts, Phantasmal Force (5th)
  • Clairvoyance, Sending (9th)
  • Dominate Beast, Black Tentacles (13th)
  • Dominate Person, Telekinesis (17th)
• Example: Cast Dominate Person on a key enemy and turn them against their allies!

Awakened Mind (Level 1)

• Communicate telepathically with any creature within 30 feet.
• No need to share a language!
• Example: Convince NPCs to do your bidding or silently warn your party of hidden dangers.

Entropic Ward (Level 6)

• As a reaction, force an attacker to miss once per short or long rest.
• If the attack misses, your next attack roll against them has advantage.
• Example: An enemy tries to strike you, but their mind warps in confusion, causing them to miss!

Thought Shield (Level 10)

• You gain resistance to psychic damage.
• No creature can read your mind unless you allow it.
• Example: Mind flayers, enchantment spells, and detect thoughts spells are useless against you!

Create Thrall (Level 14)

• Touch an unconscious humanoid and charm them permanently.
• They obey you until removed by Remove Curse.
• Example: Turn a fallen enemy into a devoted servant under your control.

These abilities make Great Old One Warlocks some of the best controllers, social manipulators, and deceptive spellcasters, excelling at turning the tide of battle with illusions and mind tricks.

Suggested Ability Scores

• Primary: Charisma – Boosts spellcasting and eldritch abilities.
• Secondary: Dexterity – Improves AC and initiative for quick spellcasting.
• Tertiary: Constitution – Helps with survivability and Concentration saves.

Recommended Races

Since Great Old One Warlocks rely on Charisma, Dexterity, and mental resilience, the best races include:

1. Kalashtar – Perfect telepathic synergy and resistance to psychic damage.
2. Tiefling (Levistus or Dispater) – Charisma bonus and deception-based spells.
3. Half-Elf – Charisma boost and bonus skill proficiencies.
4. Githyanki – Psionic magic and resistance to mental effects.
5. Variant Human – Start with a feat like Telepathic or Lucky.

Playing as a Great Old One Warlock

Role in a Party

• Primary Mind Controller & Battlefield Manipulator – Dominate enemies and disrupt their tactics.
• Tactical Spellcaster & Illusionist – Use illusions and deception to gain an advantage.
• Social Expert & Deceiver – Manipulate NPCs with telepathy and enchantment magic.

Compared to other Warlocks, Great Old One Warlocks are the best at battlefield control, telepathic communication, and psychological warfare.

Tips for New Players

• Use Awakened Mind for silent strategy – Coordinate with allies without speaking.
• Entropic Ward keeps you alive – Use it when a big attack is coming your way.
• Create Thrall works best on key NPCs – Turn a powerful enemy into a permanent ally.
• Dominate Person is game-changing – Control key enemies to turn fights in your favor.

Gear and Dice Recommendations

Suggested Equipment

Weapons & Arcane Focus

• Rod of the Pact Keeper – Boosts Warlock spells and regains a spell slot.
• Crystal Orb or Mindstone – Perfect for a psychic warlock theme.

Armor & Defensive Items

• Cloak of Protection – Increases AC and saving throws.
• Ring of Psychic Resistance – Doubles down on psychic damage resilience.

Magic Items

• Amulet of the Devout – Enhances spellcasting effectiveness.
• Pearl of Power – Recover a spell slot in emergencies.
• Circlet of Telepathy – Perfect synergy with Awakened Mind.

Dice Recommendations from Runic Dice

Enhance your eldritch-themed character with these captivating dice sets:

• Eldritch Whisper Dice Set: For dark swirling blues and purples representing cosmic power, consider the Labradorite Gemstone DND Dice Set. Handcrafted from genuine labradorite, these dice exhibit a mesmerizing play of colors, capturing the mystic essence of eldritch energies.
• Voidwalker Dice Set: To embody eldritch mystery with black and silver tones, the Black Inked Lightning Cracked Glass DND Dice Set is an excellent choice. This set features a striking cracked glass design with black inked numerals, reflecting the enigmatic nature of a voidwalker traversing unknown realms.
• Madness Dice Set: For deep purple and green hues symbolizing the insanity of the Great Old Ones, the Purple Gemstone Amethyst DND Dice Set offers vibrant purple tones, reminiscent of the otherworldly influence of ancient cosmic entities.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Optimization Strategies

Best Feats for a Great Old One Warlock

1. Telepathic – Boosts Charisma, extends telepathic range, and grants Detect Thoughts.
2. Metamagic Adept – Gain Quickened Spell and Subtle Spell for mind tricks.
3. Lucky – Reroll crucial attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws.
4. Resilient (Constitution) – Boosts Concentration checks for long-duration spells.
5. Actor – Enhances deception and disguise abilities.

Best Multiclass Options

1. Great Old One Warlock 5 / Sorcerer (Aberrant Mind) 15 – The Mind Flayer

   • Best for: Maximizing telepathic abilities and psychic magic.
   • Strategy: Quickened Mind Sliver and Dominate Person for devastating combos.

2. Great Old One Warlock 6 / Bard (College of Whispers) 14 – The Puppet Master

   • Best for: Deception and social manipulation.
   • Strategy: Use telepathic messaging alongside Whisper Bard’s mind tricks.

3. Great Old One Warlock 10 / Wizard (Enchantment) 10 – The Psionic Overlord

   • Best for: Mastering mind control and battlefield control.
   • Strategy: Use Hypnotic Pattern and Modify Memory to warp reality.

The Great Old One Warlock is one of the most mysterious, psychological, and deceptive subclasses in D&D 5e, excelling at telepathy, mind control, and battlefield manipulation.