The Complete Warlock Hellbringer DPS Build – Neverwinter Mod 30 As Above, So Below
Welcome to our Warlock Hellbringer Guide, updated for Mod 30: As Above, So Below
The Warlock Hellbringer in Neverwinter stands as a formidable force, wielding dark, chaotic magic to decimate foes and bolster allies. As one of the two Paragon Paths available to the Warlock class, the Hellbringer specializes in dealing potent fire-based damage from a distance, often engulfing multiple enemies in relentless, fiery destruction
Hellbringer is the Warlock DPS build, but they can also heal as a Soulweaver. See our Warlock Soulweaver build here.
The purpose of our class guides is not just to show you a build that you can copy and use on your character, but to show you a base build and teach you the mechanics and stats of the game, so you can understand and play your class to its fullest capabilities.
Try different gear, feats, and powers, and learn to tailor your own build for your playstyle. See our guide to making your own build for more info.
Basic Warlock Hellbringer Info
Below is all the basic information for the Hellbringer, from race choices to stats.
Other Warlock Builds
Races
What race you play doesn’t play a huge role, but will give you a small boost. Generally, I would advise you to play a race that you enjoy.
- Human – 1% Bonus to all stats – +3 To any Ability Score
- Metallic Ancestry Dragonborn – Recieve 3% more healing and 3% more Max Hit Points – +2 to Any two Ability Score – 3% Critical Strike – 3% Power
- Dragonborn – Recieve 5% more healing – +2 to Any Ability Score – 3% Critical Strike – 3% Power
- Gith – 5% Combat Advantage – +2 Dex and +2 Str or Int – 5% Stamina Regen
- Wood Elf – 5% Critical Strike – +2 Dex and +2 Int or Wis – 20% Resistance to Slow
- Tiefling – 5% + Damage to targets below 50% health – +2 Cha and +2 Con or Int – 10% to reduce damage of target for 5 sec by 2.5%
- Half-Orc – 5% Crit Severity – +2 Dex and +2 Con or Str – 10% Movement Speed for 3 sec when entering combat
Ability Score Priority
Put all your available Ability Scores into Intelligence and Charisma.
Stat / Rating Priority
Your cap for each stat is based on your item level. To cap a stat, the numbers of the stat need to be equal to or higher than your item level.
If your stat number is higher than your item level, you are wasting stats and should try to allocate stats differently.
For every 1000 points, a stat is lower than your item level you lose 1% in that stat.
Offensive Stats
- Power (90%)
- Combat Advantage (90%)
- Critical Strike (90%)
- Critical Severity (90%)
- Accuracy (90%)
Defensive Stats
- Defense (90%)
- Awareness (90%)
- Critical Avoidance (90%)
- Deflection (90%)
- Deflect Severity (90%)
Paragon Path Feats, Powers & Rotation
This part is all about optimizing the Hellbringer with the best feats, powers, and boons.

Combat Powers

At-Will Powers:
- Hellish Rebuke (ST) – Eldritch Blast (AoE)
- Hand of Blight – Dark Helix (AoE)
Encounter Powers:
- Killing Flames (ST) – Fiery Bolt (AoE)
- Blades of Vanquished Armies
- Hellfire Ring
Daily Powers:
- Tyrannical Curse (ST)
- Soul Siphon (AoE)
Class Features:
- No Pity No Mercy
- Dust to Dust
Feats
- Power of the Nine Hells
- Warlock’s Curse
- Risky Investment
- Creeping Death
- Soul Spark Recovery
Rotation
Single Target Rotation:
Fiery Bolt > Blades of Vanquished Armies > Hellfire Ring > Soul Scorch > Fiery Bolt > Blades of Vanquished Armies > Hellfire Ring > Soul Scorch
AoE Rotation:
Killing Flames > Blades of Vanquished Armies > Hellfire Ring > Soul Scorch > Killing Flames > Blades of Vanquished Armies > Hellfire Ring > Soul Scorch
Boons
You should always choose boons based on what stats you currently need. Therefore a selection of several viable boons is available to you for each tier.
Tier 1 Boons
- Recruit’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Critical Strike – 0.2% Critical Strike Per Rank
- Lingering Medicine – 1% Increase effectiveness of healing potions.
- Critical Avoidance – 0.2% Critical Avoidance Per Rank
- Cultist Bulwark – 0.2% HP Per Rank
- Cultist Power – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. Cultists.
Tier 2 Boons
- Squire’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Armor Penetration – 0.2% Critical Severity Per Rank
- Lingering Fortification – 1% Increase effectiveness of healing potions.
- Defense – 0.2% Defense Per Rank
- Demonic Bulwark – 0.2% HP Per Rank
- Demonic Mastery – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. demons.
Tier 3 Boons
- Knight’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Combat Advantage – 0.2% Combat Advantage Per Rank
- Lingering Power – 1% Increase effectiveness of healing potions.
- Awareness – 0.2% Awareness Per Rank
- Dino Bulwark – 0.2 HP Per Rank
- Dino Power – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. dinos.
Tier 4 Boons
- Captain’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Accuracy – 0.2% Accuracy Per Rank
- Deflect – 0.2% Deflect Per Rank
- Necrotic Bulwark – 0.2% HP Per Rank
- Necrotic Mastery – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. undead.
Advanced Boons
- Masterclass – 1% Forte per rank
- Quick Turnaround – 1% Recharge Speed
- Call of Power – 1% Action Point Gain
Master Boons
- Blood Lust 3/3
- Life Lessons 3/3
- Blessed Advantage 3/3
- Deathly Rage 3/3
Guild Boons
- Offense – Power/Accuracy/Critical depending on what stat you need.
- Defense – Defence
- Utility – Mount Speed or Movement Speed
Weapons & Gear
If you are new to Neverwinter and need to know how to get better gear and increase your item level, check out our Gearing Up Guide.
Note that the best-in-slot for your build might vary depending on what stats you have.
The best way to gear up in Neverwinter is by making a lot of Astral Diamonds, check out our Astral Diamond Guide to learn all the secrets of AD farming.
Head
- Best-in-Slot Enchanted Depthweave Cap (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Prismatic Fractal Barbut
- Abyss Conqueror’s Healing Guard / Spellweaver’s Hood (Demonweb Pits)
- Serene Hood of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
- The Dark Maiden Assault Hood (Temple of the Spider / Menzoberranzan Campaign Store)
Armor
- Best-in-Slot Enchanted Depthweave Coat (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Abyss Conqueror’s Spellweaver Robe (Demonweb Pits)
- Mighty Cuirass / Tactful Leathers of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
Arms
- Best-in-Slot Abyss Conqueror’s Healing Mitts (Demonweb Pits)
- Prismatic Crystalflex Bracers
- Vinewoven Bracers
- Enchanted Depthweave Sleeves (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Mighty Vambraces / Tactful Gloves of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
Feet
- Best-in-Slot Enchanted Depthforged Poulaindes (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon) Only in Fire Themed-Maps or Sharp Longboots of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
- Radiant or Ultraviolet Elven Poulaines (The Imperial Citadel)
- Starweave Slippers
- Abyss Conqueror’s Mauler Greaves
- The Dark Maiden Resolution Greaves (Temple of the Spider)
Weapons
- Living Magma Set / Encased Magma (Master of Flame Campaign Store)
- Demonweb Empowerment / Perfect Set (Northdark Campaign)
- Dark Matter / Solarium & Starcore Set (Adventures in Wildspace Campaign Store)
- Scalebreaker’s Wrath / Duergar Set (Dragonbone Vale Campaign)
Main Hand Modification:
- Hellish Rebuke
Offhand Modifications:
- Whatever stat you need.
Rings
- Red Dwarf Ring of Xaryxis (The Imperial Citadel Master)
- Moondancer’s Binding of Precision (Wildspace)
- Dreadbreaker / Dreadwalker Loop
- Platinum Abyssal Loop (The Demonweb Pits)
- Sapphire Abyssal Loop (The Demonweb Pits)
- Emerald Abyssal Loop (The Demonweb Pits)
- Eilistraee’s Harmony + Elistraee’s Beauty (AOE) (Northdark Reaches)
- Soothsayer’s Ring of Absolution (Dragonbone Vale)
- Waywatchers Ring of Precision (Dragonbone Vale)
- Waywatchers Ring of Punishment (Dragonbone Vale)
- Mightbreaker’s Ring of Elegance (Dragonbone Vale)
Neck & Waist
- Masterwork of Menzoberranzan Set: Scintillant Sash & Amulet (Mastercrafted / From the Auction House)
- Unstable Drive Set (Detector’s Pendant & Detector’s Sash)
Shirt
- Ember Stiched Shirt (Lair of the Mad Dragon) Only in Fire-Themed Maps
- Ember Infused Shirt (Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Brilliant Starwoven Shirt (Wildspace Heroic Encounters)
- Shimmering Flarefiber Shirt
- Lolth’s Embrace (Narbondellyn Heroic Encounters)
Pants
- Ember Stiched Pants (Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Cerebral Predator Ink / Ocean’s Predator Ink
- Luminous Flarefiber Pants
- Lolth’s Embrace (Narbondellyn Heroic Encounters)
- War-Worn Pants (From the Auction House)
Artifacts
Primary Artifact
- Bloodbrass Pistol
- Demogorgon’s Reach
- Mythallar Fragment
- Halaster’s Blast Scepter
- Wyvern-Venom Coated Knives
- Crystal of Soul’s Flight
Secondary Artifacts
Choose secondary artifacts based on the stats you are lacking.
- Bloodbrass Pistol
- Jewel of Caldera
- Searing Conduit of Magma
- Astral Seed Tendril
- Portable Spelljammer Detector
- Macro’s Mystic Marker
- Xeleth’s Blast Scepter
- Scintillating Symbol of Water
- Rod of Pain
- Wand of Domination
- Marilith Mask
- Mystic Bolt
- Eye of Odran
- Assassin’s Dice
Enchantments
When getting enchantments, always get the ones with the stats you are lacking in with your gear, boons, etc in mind.
Offense Enchantments
- Ruby Enchantment
- Garnet Enchantment
- Cobalt Enchantment
- Citrine Enchantment
- Amethyst Enchantment
- Jade Enchantment
Defense Enchantments
- Garnet Enchantment
Utility Enchantments
- Garnet Enchantment
Bonus Enchantments
- Recharge Bonus
Combat Enchantments
- Lightning Flash
Overload Enchantments
- Rage of Flames or Devil’s Precision
- Various Marks from Stronghold Vendor
- Corrupt Black Ice / Lethal / Piercing
- Black / Red Dragon Glyph
Armor Reinforcement Kits
Accuracy, Power, or Critical Strike Kit +1, Depending on what stat you need.
Jewelry Reinforcement Kits
- Combat Advantage Jewel
Consumables & Buffs
Consider getting VIP for the Power of VIP HP buff if you aren’t already. Also always stand in campfires to get the +1 ability campfire buff.
Pick one from each of the categories below depending on the stats you are lacking.
- Invocation Blessing: Grace of Battle / Gift of Awareness / Righteous Boon / Gamber’s Fortune
- Stronghold Food: Ratatouille / Seared Tuna
- Event Food: Watermelon Sorbet / Squash Soup
- Elixir: Wild Storm Elixir / Sunlord’s Gift Elixir
- Potion: Superior Flask of Potency +1
- Belt: Stone of Health / Dragonfire / Perfect Spider Totem or Forger’s Box
Companions
Summoned Companion
For your summoned companion you have the choice between using Augmented companions which will make it easier to cap stats or an active combat companion which will do damage. At the moment Active/Striker companions are usually better than augment companions.
Active Companion Choices
- Black Death Scorpion
- Etrien
- Tutor
- Blaspheme Assassin
- Wiggins the Undead Intern
- Mage Slayer
- Xuna
- Paranoid Delusion
- Tomb Spider
- Greenscale Bowman
- Regis (AoE)
- Wulfgar (AoE)
- Xaryxian Defector (AoE)
- Minotaur Mercenary(AoE)
- Rimefire Golem (AoE)
Enchantment Power
- Precision
- Potency
- Perfect Vision
- Acute Senses
- Potent Precision
Companion Powers
Below is a selection of viable companion powers.
Offense Powers
- Wulfgar (Wulfgar’s Wrecking) – 4.7% Combat Advantage & Accuracy
- Drizzt (Drizzt’s Devestation) – 4.7% Critical Change & Severity
- Neverwinter Knight (Neverwinter Knight’s Discipline) – 7.5% Outgoing Damage
- Wild Hunt Rider (Wild Hunt Discipline) – 2/3/5% chance to increase damage by 10% for 5 seconds.
- Siege Master (Siege Master’s Discipline) – Combined Rating – Increases the power of your At-Will powers by 11% (Doubled on Stronghold Map)
- Black Dragon Ioun Stone (Black Dragon’s Insight) – 7.5% Critical Chance
- Staldorf (Staldorf’s Presence) – 7.5% Combat Advantage
- Razorwood (Twigblight’s Insight) – 3.8% Critical Severity & Accuracy
- Hawk (Hawk’s Insight’s) – 3.8% Critical Severity & Critical Chance
- Armored Orc Wolf (Orc Wolf’s Instincts) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Accuracy
- Batiri (Batiri’s Wisdom) – 11% Damage Versus Bosses
- Dancing Blade (Dancing Blade’s Insight) – 3.8% Critical Severity & Combat Advantage
- Flame Sprite (Flamesprite’s Insight) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Accuracy
- Golden Cat (Golden Cat’s Insight’s) – 7,5% Combat Advantage
Defense Powers
- Minsc (The Bigger They Are) – More damage against big mobs (bosses)
- Phasespider (Phasespider’s Presence) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Combat Advantage
- Fire Archon (Fire Archon’s Insight) – 10% on At-Will use to increase Combat Advantage for 10 seconds
Utility Powers
- Dark Dealer (Dark Dealings) – 3.8% Accuracy & 3.8% Combat Advantage
- Alchemist Experimenter (Alchemist’s Discipline) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Combat Advantage
- Golden Cat (Golden Cat’s Insight) – 7.5% Combat Advantage
- Book Imp (Bookimp’s Presence) – 3.8% Accuracy & 3.8% Combat Advantage
Mounts
Mount Insignia Bonuses
All classes and specs should consider using Wanderer’s Fortune and or Traveler’s Treasures before you have refined all your gear and enchantments, for extra refinement every day.
Insignia bonuses are mostly down to preference. Some boost damage a bit, and some boost survivability, while others add utility.
DPS
- Tactician’s Precision
- Enchanter’s Hex
- Warlord’s Inspiration
- Warlord’s Motivation
- Artificers Enticement
- Mender’s Covenant
- Executioner’s Covenant
- Artificers Persuasion
- Assassin’s Covenant
- Calvary’s Warning
- Gladiator’s Guile
Self Healing
- Barbarian’s Revelry
- Survivor’s Blessing
- Survivor’s Gift
- Knight’s Rebuke
- Oppressor’s Reprieve
Utility
- Wanderer’s Fortune
- Traveler’s Treasures
Insignia Type
- Insignia of Dominance
- Insignia of Brutality
- Insignia of Aggression
- Insignia of Skill
Mount Collars
- Sturdy Crescent Collar
- Wayfaring Barbed Collar
- Unified Crescent Collar
- Supportive Crescent Collar
Mount Powers
Mount Equip Power:
- Dominant Force (Power)
- Ferocity (Extra Damage)
- Opportunistic ( Combat Advantage)
- Ferocious Predator (Power & Critical Severity)
- Rapid Accuracy (Accuracy)
- Armor Breaker (Critical Severity)
- Precision (Critical Strike & Severity)
- Ruthless Efficiency (Critical Strike
Mount Combat Power:
- Bigby’s Hand
- Tunnel Vision (Several)
- Giant Toad
- Golden Warhorse
- Space Guppy School (For AoE)
- Pegasus (For AoE)
If you have any questions or suggestions about our Neverwinter Warlock Hellbringer guide, please leave a comment below!
More info about the Warlock class can be found in the Neverwinter Warlock Facebook group.
Updates
- 29.08.2024: The build has been updated for module 29: Mountain of Flame. Basic info including stat priority, skills, mounts, enchantments, artifacts, and gear has been updated. Unrelevant info and fluff have also been removed to make the guide easier to read.
- 11.02-2025: Updated with Mod 30 gear.
Just curious on the Bis weapons and off hand for Hellbringer?
Right now its the lion heart the is bis and the new legion weapons that are second up
Saw that you updated this, thank you!
nice build ty <3
Any way you can rank your recommendations in a cost/benefit way for those who do not have unlimited AD and don’t spend cash on the game? And please also elaborate on “bolster,” as this seems to be something that is not so clear in game
If you have it the Fierce Predator equip power gives 5k power and arm pen 🙂
Why would you want dex and not cha or something like that just wondering
Robes of the Last Profit (Best in Slot)
Not sure how this hears Hags rags… you gain 125power up to 2mins.. vs an flat 3% damg gain… Lomm bosses take longer than 2mins so youd lose this buff. Which in turn makes this armor pc useless.
why is the orcus set still so good? is it still better then new set’s?
why is the orcus set still best? it seems not better then newer sets imo. can anyone explain it to me?
From my understanding robes would better than rags because you can only use 2x gear perk. So ideally youd have 2 ebonized raid rings for snipers perk and in turn rendering the snipers perk from rags useless. The bis gear perk after that and once all other stats are capped would be power which I think is what the robes give you with gladiators might. The extra power for 2 minutes would be better than having a useless 3rd snipers perk equipped.
The 3% damage budd only stacks twice. So you could run two Ebonized Rings and be able to move on from Hags Rags.
I don’t understand having “Risky Investment” without having a skill that summons “Soul Puppet”…
Will this be uptaded?
So creeping death isnt great anymore?
This guide has been updated for mod 18 Infernal Descent! See you in Avernus!
The At-Will info appears incorrect. It suggests Dark Spiral Aura but that was removed with M16. Can you update this guide please? What else is out of date?
I just started to update my character and found it to be inaccurate. Now I’m in between updating the points and don’t know what to do next.
I am just coming back after 2 yr hiatus, great guide. What about rotations for aoe and st/boss fights?
This may sound stupid, but I am a nub to this game. I have a warlock, and what to to know which path is the best, and how the hell to switch to a differant path. Yeah, yeah, nub.
Thanks,
Fennery
Any plans for a mod 21 update?
Are you going to update this build with the new companions and the ones like xuna & CIW that have been nerfed so badly?
I have a lot of mounts and I can only use a very small percentage of the mount powers why? Are there specific mounts that only work with specific races or ckasses?
Hi, in your mod 22 build you put, as bis artifact, envenomed storyteller’s journal and as second bis Halaster’s blast scepter. But, isn’t Mythallar fragment (that you put in secondary artifacts) best than Halaster’s? Reading the stats, Mythallar is the same of Halaster’s but deals more damage. Can you explain that?
Thank you and keep up the great work.
Awesome Help!! But where can I find all this Gear?? I need everything! For example if I want the 1st recommendation for head? Armor? Feet? Where can I find them?? Plus the arms??? Thank you so much!!
You keep mixing up wild hunt rider and fire archons abilities
This has been happening in all mods that have been posted
Any Fresh 20 type Guides? I had to start over with enchantments and now its a mood killing grind to get enough just for one thing.
No body is killing “Rares” in Avernus were I go or not an organized group etc. Its like no one is anything less than current mod with your guides on what I should have etc. I have been trying with the Mirage set for the longest.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hey. Maybe I didn’t see it, however: how should I do my points in states, example, str, con, dex, int, wis, & cha. I need to reset these and I’m not exactly sure how to put the points. Please help.
For AoE I use the same rotation that you suggest, but on ST I do: Hellfire Ring>Hadar’s Grasp>Killing Flame>Hellish Rebuke to gain soul sparks>Soul Scorch to recharge faster.
The second encounter is situational, on ancient dragons I use Vampiric Embrace and if there are a lot of ads I use BoVA.
For the artifacts I use the three journals, Envenomed as primary in AoE. I use the Mythallar set and the Mythallar fragment as primary on ST.
AS weapons, the Masterwork set if all the party use that, or Lionheart in AoE and Mirage on ST.
My companions are: Paranoid Delusion on ST, Succubus in AoE, Festive Tiger on Ancient Dragons.
As mounts, the Pegasus for AoE and the Toad for ST.
My gear is almost everything from Dragon hunts, but the boots are from the dragon seals, with the +10k Crit Sev when in party.
Heres what makes me laugh, through this guide the sentence “Use one that has the stats you need” makes me laugh because if you built this using the bis gear you claim is best then you would know which stats are needed. And yes not everyone will have the so called BiS gear but then if that’s the case they don’t need to be worried about min maxing. Just saying it would be much easier to see a screen shot of the stat page with the suggested bis gear you have listed and focus on 1 build because the stats are a delicate thing and mixing best in slot for 2nd or 3rd best I slot can turn a good toon to trash.
Recent testing shows that Creeping Death STILL does not proc on weapons that are NOT artifact weapons (eg, Stormforged, Scalebreakers).
If you feat into Creeping Death, and you’re using the newer weapons, you’re better off either switching to artifact weapons (Masterwork Weapons, Lionheart, Mirage), or changing your feat to Executioner’s Gift.
This bug has been reported to Cryptic multiple times, however we are yet to see a fix.
I don’t understand which boons to choose or is up to me?