Eldritch Invocations in Unearthed Arcana expand the ways players can customize their Warlock class with mysterious, flavor-rich abilities. These optional features let you reshape your patron, improve invocations, and integrate more tightly into your campaign world.
Designed for ongoing play, these options reward creative builds and long-term progression. Below you will find a practical overview, theme-specific guidance, and answers to common questions about using Eldritch Invocations from Unearthed Arcana in 5e.
| Invocation | Level | Patron | Key Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augment Eldritch Blast | 1st | Any | Add +1 damage per invocation to your Eldritch Blast cantrip |
| Devil’s Sight | 1st | Fiend | Darkvision 120 ft., see normally in darkness including magical darkness |
| Hallowed Word | 1st | Great Old One | Gain a returned expended spell slot after a short or long rest |
| Improved Pact Weapon | 3rd | Any (requires Pact of the Blade) | Always treat your pact weapon as magical and gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls |
| Eldritch Master | 7th | Archfey, Fiend, or Great Old One | Prepare extra invocations, gain one from the Wizard spell list, and enhance invocations with metamagic-like options |
Customizing Your Warlock Identity
Eldritch Invocations from Unearthed Arcana deepen your connection to a patron by emphasizing roleplay hooks, visual flourishes, and mechanical tweaks. Instead of locking you into a single fantasy, they give modular upgrades you can swap as your story evolves.
Many options interact with Pact Magic features, so you can coordinate invocations with Expanded Spellcasting or other Warlock improvements. This flexibility helps your character feel unique at table and at the narrative level.
Themed Invocation Paths for Each Patron
Fiend Invocations
Fiend-focused players gain options centered on control, burning damage, and infernal bargains. Devils Sight remains among the most iconic, while other choices emphasize commanding foes and manipulating dark bargains for survival.
Archfey Invocations
Patrons of the fey use invocations that blur perception, charm allies, and protect through elusive tricks. Eldritch Master here often leans into illusory control, allowing you to rearrange battlefield conditions and obscure enemy senses.
Great Old One Invocations
Great Old One builds highlight knowledge, madness, and reality distortion. Hallowed Word offers scaling resource recovery, while other options enhance insight saves, mental defenses, and ritual flexibility.
Pact of the Blade and Expanded Options
When you choose Pact of the Blade, several invocations dramatically improve your flexibility in combat. Improved Pact Weapon removes non-magical restrictions, and other choices let you change your pact weapon’s form or attach rules from other traditions like totems.
Unearthed Arcana often introduces cross-tradition options, so a Fiend Warlock can, for example, use blade pact maneuvers adapted from Hexblade patterns without breaking flavor coherence in most tables.
Balancing and Integration Guidelines
Unearthed Arcana material is expressly experimental, so use clear table expectations and incremental adoption. Limit the number of potent invocations per campaign tier to avoid overshadowing martial or full-caster allies, and tie new options to your ongoing story beats.
Track choices in a shared repository so players understand which enhancements are narrative, which are mechanical, and which are once-per-rest resources. This visibility keeps power spikes transparent and preserves group fun.
Refining Your Eldritch Path Forward
Treat Eldritch Invocations as evolving tools that reflect your Warlock’s growth, aligning mechanical power with narrative milestones and table expectations.
- Review patron flavor and pick invocations that reinforce your character’s relationship with their patron.
- Coordinate with your party to avoid overlapping power spikes and maintain balanced encounter pacing.
- Use UA Eldritch Invocations as experimental options and adjust rulings based on table comfort.
- Document chosen invocations and conditions so both players and DMs share clarity on capabilities.
- Plan at least one long-term invocation strategy that scales into higher tiers of play.
FAQ
Reader questions
Can I take Augment Eldritch Blast on a Warlock who does not use Eldritch Blast?
Yes, the bonus damage applies only when you hit with Eldritch Blast, so if you prefer other attack methods you simply forgo this benefit without any penalty.
Does Devil’s Sight stack with other darkvision sources?
No, it replaces your existing darkvision range with a fixed 120 ft. and adds the ability to see in magical darkness, which may supersede prior sight modes depending on your DM’s rulings.
How does Hallowed Word interact with short and long rests?
You regain one expended spell slot after each short or long rest, giving you a small but consistent resource buffer that can be used to fuel higher-cost invocations or emergency spellcasting.
Is Eldritch Master available to all Warlock patrons in Unearthed Arcana?
In the UA presentation, Eldritch Master is tied to Archfey, Fiend, and Great Old One, but tables can adapt its structure to other patrons by selecting thematic invocation upgrades and spell list options.