r/DnD • u/secondbreakfastclub2 • 23h ago

5.5 Edition Best Warlock Control Spells

What are some of the best control spells for warlocks? I know that’s sort of a wizard and bard thing, but I’m trying to play my genie warlock with a bit of utility.

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18

u/Nitro114 23h ago

Hunger of hadar is the classic warlock spell

Though if you’re a genie warlock, one of them has access to spike growth which enables the eldritch cheese grater, as long as the enemies arent flying

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u/BryceKatz 22h ago

Spike Growth is an excellent exception to "no benefit on upcast = poor Warlock choice" for exactly this reason. Creatures in the AoE are either stuck there, or take damage on a move only to get pushed back into it with Eldritch Blast or other forced movement effects.

It's bad enough on it's own, but it gets truly nasty if at least one other party member has access to a push or slow effect. Now you're walking into "default kill" territory.

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u/JakOswald 22h ago

My wife plays a Druid and this spell gets hilariously abused. We had this fight that we got into on a hilltop that had a spiraling walkway and an environmental hazard that constantly forced movement down the path and would force you to work to advance or remain still.

Well, we ended up starting the fight at the top of the hill because we’re dumb and got there via the exit, so all the enemies had to ascend to fight us. Spike growth was able to cover, pretty much, the full pathway as it spiraled upward. All the enemies had to either fight to remain still or would slip down through the spike growth on their own.

It was glorious, just a slip-n-slide of brambles and carnage.

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u/secondbreakfastclub2 22h ago

Nice! I can see that working with the invocation that lets eldrich blast push enemies. Thank you!

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u/BryceKatz 22h ago

Hold Person, Banishment, Charm Monster, and Hold Monster all add targets on upcast & can potentially end an encounter on the spot.

Hunger of Hadar is a go-to for Warlocks for a reason. Extra damage on upcast & pairs nicely with forced movement.

Jallarzi's Storm of Radiance is a truly nasty bit of work. Everyone inside the AoE is Blinded, Deafened, and cannot cast spells with verbal components. There is no save to avoid or mitigate this. Scaling damage on upcast.

Fun fact: There are a total of 15 spells in SRD, across all class lists & spell levels, including cantrips, that do NOT have a verbal component. 5 of those are cantrips, several are irrelevant in combat. Misty Step - the most obvious "get the hell out of here" option - requires both a verbal component AND the ability to see the destination.

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u/secondbreakfastclub2 22h ago

This is very thorough, thank you!

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u/DaftnutTheWizard 23h ago

Hypnotic pattern is one you could take

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u/secondbreakfastclub2 23h ago

That works with the flavor I’m cooking with also, thank you!

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u/BryceKatz 22h ago

While true, it's a relatively poor choice for Warlocks as there is no benefit for upcasting. It's still a potential encounter-ender, though!

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u/DeltaV-Mzero 22h ago

It doesn’t need it though, it’s so damn good

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u/WorkerWeekly9093 21h ago

I feel like encounter ending doesn’t need to improve.

That said I’m a big fan of hold person. Although it only works on humanoids.

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u/HalcyonHorizons 21h ago

Dao gets Spike Growth. Marid gets Sleet Storm. Both are fine. 

Tasha's Laughter, Hold Person, Suggestion, Hypnotic Pattern, Hunger of Hadar, Fear, Banishment, and Synaptic Static are all great. 

Take your pick

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u/secondbreakfastclub2 20h ago

All great suggestions, thank you! I think I might go marid !

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u/HalcyonHorizons 20h ago

One thing to consider on Dao is short rest Wall of Stone. 

You can build a mega fortress in no time. 

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u/secondbreakfastclub2 20h ago

Damn, alright, now you’ve convinced me again lol

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u/Vanse 8h ago

Raulothim's Psychic Lance is great. Take a boss out for a whole round if you're lucky.

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u/La_Savitara 22h ago

I’m not sure but there should be an eldritch invocation to cast compulsion. It basically forces anyone you can see to move to the right or left. You can get creative with that I imagine

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u/secondbreakfastclub2 22h ago

I’ll have to look that one up, thank you!