Verdict
Our favorite of the eight for story and one of the strongest in play. You get an extra body on the battlefield from level 3 and a choice of four Cleric domain spell lists, which changes the Warlock's thin spell selection more than any other patron. The catch is bookkeeping: you run two creatures.
How it plays
Your Action usually goes on Eldritch Blast or a spell, and your Bonus Action sends the vestige in to attack. The companion's type (Fiend, Celestial or Undead) comes with its own Resistance and once-per-rest Divine Power, so the same subclass can look very different at two tables. Later, a Pact Magic slot can bring a downed vestige back at full health, which competes with your own spells for the same few slots.
Features by level
| Level | Feature | What it does, in short |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Vestige Companion | Your dying patron takes physical form beside you as a Fiend, Celestial or Undead. Each type brings its own Resistance and a Divine Power usable once per Long Rest. A Bonus Action sends it to attack. |
| 3 | Vestige Spells | Pick Life, Light, Trickery or War and add that Cleric domain's spells to your list. |
| 6 | Vestige Power | The companion's Divine Power can return on a Short Rest, and you share its damage Resistance. |
| 10 | Vestige Recovery | Once per Long Rest, when the companion drops to 0 Hit Points, spend a Reaction and a Pact Magic slot to teleport it back at full health. |
| 14 | Semblance of Life | The companion takes a far stronger form that grows with your level. |
Feature names and levels follow two post-release breakdowns of the book (DungeonMister and Brandes Stoddard, September 2026), which agree with each other and with Wizards' preview on what each feature does. We haven't seen the printed text ourselves, so check your copy for exact wording.
Picking a domain
This choice shapes your spell list for the whole campaign. Spell names come from the 2024 Cleric domains; the table shows highlights, not the full list.
| Domain | Standout spells | What it adds | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life | Aid, Revivify, Death Ward | Turns you into a second healer | Parties without a Cleric |
| Light | Faerie Fire, Fireball, Wall of Fire | Area damage on top of Eldritch Blast | Players who want the biggest numbers |
| Trickery | Invisibility, Pass without Trace, Dimension Door | Stealth and escapes | Sneaky parties and intrigue games |
| War | Shield of Faith, Spiritual Weapon, Spirit Guardians | Front-line support | Warlocks who fight up close with Pact of the Blade |
Our default pick is Light for damage or Life if the party lacks a healer. Spirit Guardians makes War tempting, but its short range asks a light-armored caster to stand in melee.
Building one
- Ability scores: Charisma first, Constitution second, Dexterity third.
- Invocations: Agonizing Blast and Repelling Blast on Eldritch Blast remain the backbone.
- Pact Magic budget: keep one slot spare in hard fights for the vestige's level 10 recovery.
- Feats: War Caster or Resilient (Constitution) so concentration spells from your domain hold.
- At the table: keep the vestige's stats on a separate card so its turn stays quick.
Who should pick it
Pick it if you like a pet, enjoy a patron with a story of its own, or want Cleric spells without being a Cleric. Skip it if you want the simplest Warlock to run; the Fiend Patron asks less of you.
Corin Ashdown is the pen name of the editor who writes and checks every guide on Vorbelutrioperbir. How we write and check guides.