The Celestial Warlock is a great choice for support and healer players.
Its level 1 creates great value in providing powerful healing which grows in power the more you level up.
As such, where most warlocks see a few level dip, the celestial warlock can hold its own as a full build.
Adding both value and support to any team composition.
Moreover, its healing and defensive abilities can make this a competitive front-line spellcaster that can fight up-close and heal themselves to keep fighting.
How I Am Evaluating The Celestial Warlock
For those who have read my previous reviews, feel free to skip this. If you haven’t, welcome!
This is going over how I evaluate how strong a class is.
There are three things that I am reviewing in the in-depth guide.
I look over how strong the subclass is in combat, how much utility it has, and, if applicable, its’ roleplay ability.
This way everyone’s playstyle can be shown to fit their needs.
Now, when deciding if something is good for a guide, I look at what the subclass is trying to accomplish.
Then look at how successful it succeeds in that task.
For instance, in a previous article on the War Wizard, I concluded, attempts to make you a competitive front line.
I then figure out how well that ability succeeds in letting you front line, as well as how soon it comes online.
If it is accomplished before level 6, then it is early game.
Between Level 6-9 is Early-Mid, and Level 10 Late-Mid.
Meanwhile, subclasses that don’t reach their power till Level 11 or higher are late game.
I rate earlier tiers better as most Dungeon and Dragons Campaigns do not go beyond level 8.
Without further adieu, let start this review on the Celestial Warlock.
Color Meaning
GOLD– “That’s gold Jerry! Gold!” If an ability is highlighted gold, then this means that this ability not only is what defines your subclasses but accomplishes it better than almost any other subclass. I rarely do Gold ratings, so definitely pay attention to them if you see me do it.
Sky Blue –If the ability is sky blue, it means that this ability is a defining trait in your subclass but for one reason or another is not game-breaking like gold.
Blue– If it is just blue, then it’s a good ability but there are plenty of other abilities that perform better. Still better to have in a subclass than other colors.
Black. Black is ok. These are your more niche abilities that have bonuses in some situations but not useful in others.
Purple – Purple is for very niche abilities. They have times when they are good, but these are rare and almost never come up. Not the best color to see for an ability.
Red- Red is dead. It is the worse color to see on an ability. That said, no matter the color, an ability can work so don’t ignore a subclass if they have a red. Enough imagination and can-do attitude will make it okay but not optimal.
Expanded Spell List
A rather solid set of spells designed around healing and radiant/fire.
The end result is a list that many will be happy to use.
The following spells added to the warlock list are:
1st level
A creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.
A flash of light streaks toward a creature of your choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 4d6 radiant damage, and the next attack roll made against this target before the end of your next turn has advantage, thanks to the mystical dim light glittering on the target until then.
2nd level
A 5-foot-diameter sphere of fire appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within range and lasts for the duration. Any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
As a bonus action, you can move the sphere up to 30 feet. If you ram the sphere into a creature, that creature must make the saving throw against the sphere’s damage, and the sphere stops moving this turn.
When you move the sphere, you can direct it over barriers up to 5 feet tall and jump it across pits up to 10 feet wide. The sphere ignites flammable objects not being worn or carried, and it sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.
You touch a creature and can end either one disease or one condition afflicting it. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned.
3rd level
A 60-foot-radius sphere of light spreads out from a point you choose within range. The sphere is bright light and sheds dim light for an additional 60 feet.
If you chose a point on an object you are holding or one that isn’t being worn or carried, the light shines from the object with and moves with it. Completely covering the affected object with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the light.
If any of this spell’s area overlaps with an area of darkness created by a spell of 3rd level or lower, the spell that created the darkness is dispelled.
You touch a creature that has died within the last minute. That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This spell can’t return to life a creature that has died of old age, nor can it restore any missing body parts.
4th level
A Large spectral guardian appears and hovers for the duration in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within range. The guardian occupies that space and is indistinct except for a gleaming sword and shield emblazoned with the symbol of your deity.
Any creature hostile to you that moves to a space within 10 feet of the guardian for the first time on a turn must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 20 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The guardian vanishes when it has dealt a total of 60 damage.
You create a wall of fire on a solid surface within range. You can make the wall up to 60 feet long, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick, or a ringed wall up to 20 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick. The wall is opaque and lasts for the duration.
When the wall appears, each creature within its area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 5d8 fire damage, or half as much damage on a successful save.
One side of the wall, selected by you when you cast this spell, deals 5d8 fire damage to each creature that ends its turn within 10 feet of that side or inside the wall. A creature takes the same damage when it enters the wall for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there. The other side of the wall deals no damage.
5th level
A vertical column of divine fire roars down from the heavens in a location you specify. Each creature in a 10-foot radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d6 fire damage and 4d6 radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
You imbue a creature you touch with positive energy to undo a debilitating effect. You can reduce the target’s exhaustion level by one, or end one of the following effects on the target:
- One effect that charmed or petrified the target
- One curse, including the target’s attunement to a cursed magic item
- Any reduction to one of the target’s ability scores
- One effect reducing the target’s hit point maximum
The ones that stick out the most are Cure Wounds, Guiding Bolt, Wall of Fire, and Revivify.
The rest are okay options that usually won’t be optimal moves or better left for another party member to use.
Cure wounds might seem like a waste with the Celestial Warlock’s “Healing Light” ability.
But, it can actually pair really well when combined with the invocation “Gift of the Ever-Living Ones”.
Guiding bolt is a solid big hit damage spell.
Meanwhile, Wall of Fire can change the tide of battle altering the landscape you are in.
Finally, Revivify is a solid spell that anyone who can have should have in case things go south.
All in all, some decent picks that scale well for warlocks.
Bonus Cantrips & Healing Light
At level 1 the Celestial Warlock gets quite a few perks.
The full details can be found on page 54 of Xanathars Guide to Everything, but the summary of the ability is:
At level 1 you gain the cantrips light and sacred flame in addition to your other cantrips and you have a pool of d6’s equal to 1+warlock level which can heal someone within 60 feet of you as a bonus action. The max used at one time equals your charisma modifier and the d6’s are regained after a long rest.
Light can be useful if someone in your party does not have darkvision.
Unfortunately, Sacred Flame is rather weak when you have the strongest cantrip in the game; eldritch blast.
In fact, when looking at the average AC of monsters and average dex save, eldritch blast will outperform sacred flame on damage by over 50%.
So, your time of using sacred flame will be incredibly rare.
As for healing light, this is the bread and butter for the class.
Allowing you to effectively cast healing word and still use your action to attack.
With this ability, the celestial warlock gets labeled as a party healer due to a large pool of healing power coupled with some powerful spells.
The ability itself won’t heal someone to fighting shape as best you can heal is roughly 5d6 (18) hitpoints.
However, this is a great ability when combined with “Gift of the Undying Ones”.
As it allows to heal yourself max hitpoints (30 hp per use).
All in all, because you get this ability at level, where you will have roughly 10 hit points, it’s incredibly powerful early level and continues to be useful late game.
An ideal format for abilities.
Radiant Soul
An ability that is weak in comparison to everything else the class has to offer.
Radiant Soul talks about, at level 6 you gain resistance to radiance damage, and whenever you cast a spell that deals radiant or fire damage you can have that spell deal additional damage equal to your charisma modifier to one of its targets.
Radiant damage is the third least likely damage type to be seen in battle.
Since radiant damage usually comes from heavenly creatures, there are few moments where this will come up.
However, resistance is always welcome so enjoy the protection.
As for the damage increase, the addition of a bonus 5 damage is rather small, especially against one target.
At level 6 the average monster’s hitpoints will be 97 hitpoints.
Therefore the extra 5 damage will take out 5% of a monsters total hitpoints per hit.
This can be a rather large boon for level 6, however, like most things eldritch blast outshines this ability.
The real point of this ability is for the flavor context to encourage you to use spells like Firewall instead of your cantrip to control the battle.
So, while a nice ability is nothing to write home about as its use is situational at best.
Celestial Resistance
A solid defensive buff almost on par with the feat inspiring speech.
While you would think this one gives you resistance to radiance damage this instead gives you:
At level 10 you gain temporary hitpoints equal to warlock level + charisma modifier every rest. Moreover, up to 5 other individuals gain temporary hitpoints equal to your charisma modifier+ half your warlock level.
This will amount to 15 hitpoints per rest for you and boosting your ally’s hitpoints by a potential total of 50 hitpoints.
This greatly increases your party’s survivability as at level 10 the average DPR (Damage Per Round) of a monster will be around 41.9 points of damage.
This means your party will be able to survive roughly 1.5 more rounds as a result of this ability at this level.
Additionally, at level 20 this will amount to a total of 100 hitpoints.
In other words allow your party to survive 79.81% of an additional round of damage.
So, since the ability changes the impact of a battle it receives a blue rating.
As the ability will always be useful but lacks control to alter a situation.
Searing Vengeance
It comes in late but hits like a truck.
One of the strongest abilities offered by a warlock subclass is searing vengeance.
For those who do not have Xanathars Guide to Everything, (I highly suggest you get it for content like this), but it states that:
At level 14, if you were to make a death saving throw, you can instead spring back on your feet. This will heal you half your hit point maximum, and deal 2d8+charisma modifier to each opponent within 30 feet. Anyone hit by searing vengeance is subsequently blinded until the end of your current turn. This can happen once per long rest.
This is a powerful life-saving move expected to heal 51 hitpoints as a free action deal 2d8+5 radiant damage to opponents and blind them.
This sets up a great follow up for changing the battlefield.
When you go down now you will:
(1) heal for a large portion of health,
(2) deal damage,
(3) heal an ally with healing light,
(4) all the while using your main action to make three attacks at advantage to deal 3d10+15 points of damage on top of the 2d8+5 you did earlier.
Wow.
If this was as a free action or bonus action, then it would be rated gold.
However, because of the condition that you must be making death saving throw to activate this ability, this ability will not appear often.
As a result, Searing Vengeance is rated sky blue for the celestial warlock.
Fighter Celestial Warlock
Now, the celestial warlock is incredibly useful on its own.
That said, there are two solid focused builds for this subclass, power, and support.
The fighter celestial warlock focuses on the martial rather than spellcaster focus of the class.
As such races that boost dex/str and charisma are ideal.
The strongest choice would be a half-elf since you get +2 CHA and +1 to two other stats.
That said, another solid choice is the warforge for their AC enhancements and ASI versatility.
As for the pact, it depends on the martial focus.
If you prefer to use eldritch blast, then the pact of the chain can be great for maximizing your healing.
However, a focus on martial will be a pact of the blade for the many invocation boons related to melee.
That said, as long as you focus STR/DEX first then CHA and finally CON you should be able to serve well in any battle.
Support Celestial Warlock
A support Celestial Warlock focuses more on the intrinsic healing the class can use.
Solid racial choices for this build are Aasimar for the bonus healing the race has.
After that choose either pact of the tome or chain depending on which kind of support you want.
A pact of the tome will enhance your utility by giving you a large array of cantrips and ritual spells.
These are better choices if your party lacks a wizard.
However, a pact of the chain warlock is great if your party lacks a healer or needs a backup healer.
Since your pact of the chain familiar can be invisible and use your spells for you, healing comrades is easy.
Additionally, invocations for the chain have quite a large utility support as well with maxing healing on yourself.
Such as, being able to communicate or see through your familiar, manipulate things around you, etc.
As such, focus more on charisma, then con, and dex to achieve your desired build.
Celestial Warlock Conclusion
In conclusion, the celestial warlock is a good build for those looking to boost survivability and healing capabilities.
While not able to restore someone to full health, they are able to let you continue standing for another round.
And, their ability to recover from death makes them great to turn the tides of any dangerous battle.
As such, play the celestial warlock if the divines have blessed you with a love for healing yourself or others in battle.