A New Invocation

The Warlock is not the first character archetype to come to mind for most D&D faithful. The class didn’t appear in official rules for the early decades of the tabletop game, and only then in a supplementary sourcebook, but in recent years, the concept has surged in popularity. The archetype offers a dark and intriguing way to shape a character rooted in themes of magic, witchcraft, and dangerous pacts with unknowable entities, propelled by a dangerous, magnetic charisma.

For its debut project, Invoke Studios has embraced the drama and tension inherent to the concept. “I just think it’s so cool that a character that is built around charisma can kind of walk into and face one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse in D&D and ask for something,” creative director Jeffrey Hattem says. “Not be just cowering in fear, and being able to convince that deity or powerful being to bestow powers upon them. I’m like… ‘That’s a cool character that I want to play.’”

Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is an ambitious new venture for publisher Wizards of the Coast as it seeks to expand the reach of the role-playing game into the video game world. This new single-character action/adventure is conceptually a far cry from 2023’s incredibly successful party-based RPG, Baldur’s Gate III. After pulling back the curtain on gameplay at Germany’s recent Gamescom, Warlock surprised many show attendees with the quality on display. Invoke has embraced the potential of a big, open-world action/RPG, filled with opportunities for exploration, character interactions, weapon upgrades, and action-heavy combat. It stars a new intriguing lead named Kaatri (played by Tricia Helfer) – a woman driven by a personal quest to find someone precious to her at any cost. But what really caught the eye in this new project is how many of those experiences are layered with a rich, simulation-heavy magic system that begs for experimentation.