The New DnD 2024 Archfey Patron Warlock (Subclass Deep Dive)
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Drawing on the power of the Feywild itself and forging pacts with its mercurial rulers, the Archfey Warlock has been a popular subclass for players looking for something a little more unusual than the standard options of the DnD 5e Warlock.
Now, the Archfey Warlock is back and having emerged from the untamed depths of the 2024 Player’s Handbook. The new version of these magic users features a number of major changes, including new uses of the Misty Step spell, improved defensive abilities and an overhaul of how and when the subclass is accessed.
So is the Archfey Patron Warlock worth venturing into the wilds for? Below, we conjure up all the details.
What’s changed in the new 2024 Archfey Patron Warlock?
Below are all the changes to the 2024 Archfey Patron Warlock in DnD 5e. For ease of reference we’ve included the level of each feature and whether or not it’s changed from the 2014 Player’s Handbook. One semantic item of note is that in the 2014 rules the subclass was simply referred to as “Archfey Warlock” whereas in 2024 it is now known as the “Archfey Patron Warlock.” This is a change that applies to all Warlock subclasses, with the term “Patron” now included in the names.
| Archfey Warlock Feature | Level | Changed from 2014? | Changes to the 2024 Archfey Patron Warlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subclass Access | 3 | Yes | One of the biggest changes in 2024 is that Warlocks now access their subclass at Level 3 (in the 2014 rules you accessed it at Level 1). |
| Archfey Spells | 3 | Yes | Because in 2024 you now access your subclass at Level 3, the Archfey subclass spell table has been changed. You now access these spells at different levels. In addition, Misty Step spell has been added and is a core feature of the new 2024 subclass. |
| Fey Presence | 1 | Yes | This 2014 feature has been removed from the 2024 Archfey Patron Warlock. It previously allowed you to attempt to frighten or charm creatures around you. |
| Steps of the Fey | 6 | Yes | This 2024 feature is an update of the 2014 “Misty Escape” feature. It now allows you to use the Misty Step spell, with the added benefit of regaining hit points and causing disadvantage to nearby enemies after you teleport (in 2014, you simply turned invisible and teleported 60 feet away). |
| Beguiling Defenses | 13 | Yes | In the 2024 rules this feature grants immunity to being charmed and allows you to take a Reaction to reduce damage by half. The attacker must then make a Wisdom saving throw or take damage (in the 2014 rules you were also immune to being charmed but could only use your Reaction to turn the charm back on the creature). |
| Dark Delirium | 14 | Yes | This 2014 feature has been removed from the 2024 Archfey Patron Warlock. It previously allowed you to create the illusion of a dark, misty realm that could either frighten or charm a target creature. |
| Bewitching Magic | 14 | Yes | This is a new feature in the 2024 rules. |
What are the Archfey Patron Warlock features for 2024 DnD 5e?
Below are the full list of all the features using the new 2024 core rules. A number of these features are new compared to the 2014 legacy Archfey Warlock.
Level 3: Archfey Spells
The magic of your patron ensures you always have certain spells ready; when you reach a Warlock level specified in the Archfey Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.
| Warlock Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Calm Emotions, Faerie Fire, Misty Step, Phantasmal Force, Sleep |
| 5 | Blink, Plant Growth |
| 7 | Dominate Beast, Greater Invisibility |
| 9 | Dominate Person, Seeming |
Level 3: Steps of the Fey
Your patron grants you the ability to move between the boundaries of the planes. You can cast Misty Step without expending a spell slot a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
In addition, whenever you cast that spell, you can choose one of the following additional effects:
- Refreshing Step: Immediately after you teleport, you or one creature you can see within 10 feet of yourself gains 1d10 Temporary Hit Points.
- Taunting Step: Creatures within 5 feet of the space you left must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or have Disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you until the start of your next turn.
Level 6: Misty Escape
You can cast Misty Step as a Reaction in response to taking damage. In addition, the following effects are now among your Steps of the Fey options:
- Disappearing Step: You have the Invisible condition until the start of your next turn or until immediately after you make an attack roll, deal damage, or cast a spell.
- Dreadful Step: Creatures within 5 feet of the space you left or the space you appear in (your choice) must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or take 2d10 Psychic damage.
Level 10: Beguiling Defenses
Your patron teaches you how to guard your mind and body. You are immune to the Charmed condition. In addition, immediately after a creature you can see hits you with an attack roll, you can take a Reaction to reduce the damage you take by half (round down), and you can force the attacker to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the attacker takes Psychic damage equal to the damage you take. Once you use this Reaction, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest unless you expend a Pact Magic spell slot (no action required) to restore your use of it.
Level 14: Bewitching Magic
Your patron grants you the ability to weave your magic with teleportation. Immediately after you cast an Enchantment or Illusion spell using an action and a spell slot, you can cast Misty Step as part of the same action and without expending a spell slot.
Is the New 2024 Archfey Patron Warlock worth playing?
The updated Archfey Patron remains a unique option for the new 2024 Warlock and it’s definitely see some enhancements, particularly in terms of delivering a powerful backlash with the updated Beguiling Defenses feature. That being said, it’s also now a subclass that is heavily reliant on Misty Step (much like the new 2024 Ranger and the reliance on the Hunter’s Mark spell), so if that isn’t something that appeals to you, chances are you’ll want to choose one of thew other new Warlock subclasses. If you are thinking of building an Archfey Patron Warlock, however, it’s a great option for a character that’s all about hit and run tactics and tapping into the unpredictable nature of the Feywild itself.
You can find the complete rules for all the new Warlock subclasses in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which is available for pre-order now on D&D Beyond and Amazon.
Below is also a video from the official Dungeons & Dragons YouTube channel, with DnD lead designer Jeremy Crawford offering more details on some of the biggest changes to to new Archfey Patron Warlock.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
